Benzema ruled out of ‘clásico’ with leg injury

Karim Benzema will miss Real Madrid’s match against fierce rival Barcelona because of a leg injury, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Saturday.
Madrid hosts Barcelona on Sunday with an already commanding lead of the Spanish league.
Benzema has not yet recovered since hurting his left leg in Monday’s 3-0 win at Mallorca.
“He can’t play tomorrow because he has not trained yet and still feels some pain,” Ancelotti said. “It is a small injury but it keeps him from training and, obviously, from playing.”

🔴🎙️ | ¡La rueda de prensa de @MrAncelotti antes de #ElClásico! https://t.co/S2Ri8Wm4kV
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 19, 2022
Benzema is having a superb season. He leads the Spanish league with 22 goals. Last week he scored a memorable second-half hat trick to rally Madrid to a 3-2 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Madrid can still count on winger Vinícius Júnior, who has scored 14 times in the league this campaign. Ancelotti could start Marco Asensio in Benzema’s place as a “false nine.”
Madrid enters the round with a 10-point lead over Sevilla. Barcelona is 15 points behind.
Giroud back in France squad after Benzema withdraws
AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud has been called up to France’s national squad for upcoming friendly matches as a replacement for the injured Karim Benzema.

The French football federation said Saturday that Benzema has been ruled out because of a left calf injury.
As part of their preparations for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, the defending champions will take on Ivory Coast in Marseille on March 25. They will then play South Africa in Lille four days later.

Benzema, who plays for Real Madrid, was hurt Monday in a Spanish league match against Mallorca. He scored two goals and an ass in the 3-0 win.
This is the first time that France coach Didier Deschamps has selected Giroud since the European Championship last year. He has scored 46 goals in 110 appearances for France.