Real Madrid 'angry' at Ballon d'Or winner Benzema

FT Desk

• Updated: 24 Jan 2023 12:09 GMT
• 3 min read

Karim Benzema has only started one game for Real Madrid since last month's Clasico win over Barcelona, with an eye on France's upcoming World Cup campaign…

… or so his current employers reportedly think.

Benzema was in career best form last season, scoring 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions as Real were crowned Spanish and European champions, and won the Ballon d'Or in October.

READ: Benzema's Ballon d'Or win is the second-biggest ever after Ronaldo

Benzema scored the opener in the 3-1 win over Barca last month, but has been struggling with a thigh complaint ever since.

Real have only won three of their five games without the Frenchman, losing to RB Leipzig and Rayo Vallecano and drawing with Girona, as Rodrygo has struggled to fulfil his role at the point of their attack.

Benzema was out of favour with France when they won the last World Cup in 2018, but he is now back in Didier Deschamps' preferred starting line-up, and Real are worried he has been trading on his injury to stay unharmed for the upcoming competition in Qatar.

READ: Haaland? Mbappe? Ancelotti reveals Real Madrid’s successor to Benzema

'Huge anger building'

"The French striker doesn't want to take any risk with his muscular fatigue with the aim of reaching the World Cup at 100 per cent," reports Sport's Luis Miguelsanz. "And with los Blancos, huge anger is building at the striker's attitude which is clearly harming their sporting interests."

Barcelona have pulled to the top of La Liga since Benzema's injury, and are now five points clear of the champions although having played a game more.

Benzema will almost certainly start up front with Kylian Mbappe at the World Cup, and the striker's former Real teammate Guti is amazed that Real didn't sign an understudy for Benzema when the deal for Mabappe fell through this summer.

"We all knew this could happen," he told Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones. "I don’t understand how Madrid doesn't have a replacement."