Life has been good for Real Madrid with Karim Benzema on the pitch, but the club could be forced to test how it goes for them without the stellar striker for a long time.
Speaking in today's press conference ahead of the match against Mallorca, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Benzema will have to watch the game against the red and black side from the stands, but that is not the only fixture he will end up missing. According to Ancelotti, his return could take place after the international break due to the complexity of his injury.
"Our plan with Karim is trying to get him back without forcing him to do so. He will not play next Wednesday against RB Leipzig and we will see if he is fit for Sunday's derby. If he can't play that match, then we will not let him join his national team,"Ancelotti said.
The coach went on to discuss why Los Blancos refused to hire one more striker in case a situation such as this one emerged with the Frenchman.
"We do not have a natural replacement for Karim because he is the best striker in the world. There was no substitute for him available, but what we can do is try to fill his void with players that can give us something different," the coach added.
Ancelotti shared his views on Sunday's match and how the team will be able to cope with Benzema's absence just as they did last season.
"It is part of a footballer's life. Last year he also had a slight problem in December and I think we did fine without him. It will be the same this year. We played a good game without him against Celtic, especially in the offensive end of the game. Hopefully we can repeat that tomorrow," Ancelotti said.
About the man that will fill his shoes, Ancelotti named Eden Hazard as the man that will carry the burden of Real Madrid's offense.
"Hazard did a great job when he came in against Celtic. He will be playing tomorrow, and I hope he can repeat that and have a great match against Mallorca," Ancelotti concluded.
