Karim Benzema set to miss Real Madrid’s match against Getafe

Real Madrid take on Getafe on Saturday without Karim Benzema, who did not train with Carlo Ancelotti’s squad on Friday morning.

The La Liga club have not issued a medical report regarding the problem that has prevented the Frenchman from training. At the moment, the club are talking about possible muscle fatigue, which could have led to Ancelotti deciding to rest the Frenchman against Getafe. Los Blancos face Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek before El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu against Barcelona on Sunday 16 October.

Muscle fatigue may be related to Madrid’s last two games, in which Benzema played 180 minutes, despite the fact that he had just come back from an injury. He was forced off at Celtic Park which prevented him from playing against Mallorca, RB Leipzig and Atlético Madrid.

Rodrygo set for central role

Ancelotti is now left with two options for Saturday’s clash: Rodrygo and Hazard. The Belgian was initially the first choice in the absence of Benzema and at Celtic Park he performed well, but then faded and Rodrygo, who has already scored four goals this season, has taken his place. In Getafe everything points to the Brazilian starting up front, accompanied by Vinícius on the left and Valverde or Asensio on the right.

Courtois and Ceballos will also miss the trip to the south of Madrid. The midfielder is out for a month or so, which could keep him out of league action until after the World Cup. In the case of the Belgian, he is still recovering from injury and the club hope he will be able to travel to Warsaw to play against Shakhtar on Tuesday.