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Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and Fede Valverde will miss their upcoming UEFA Champions League away clash against RB Leipzig on October 26.
Benzema is yet to open his account in this season's Champions League after playing three games. He sustained an injury during his team's clash against Celtic on the opening matchday and was out for a while.
The Frenchman also missed Los Blancos' 3-1 win against Sevilla over the weekend.
Valverde will also miss the trip to Germany. He has scored one goal and provided one assist in four games in the competition this season.
He played and scored a sensational goal against Sevilla on October 22 but picked up a knock in the latter stages of the game.
Real Madrid sit at the top of Group F with 10 points from four games and lead second-placed RB Leipzig by four points. The defending European Champions have already secured their birth in the knockout stages of the competition.
Ancelotti might look to rotate his squad and give opportunities to other players as the two regulars will be injured. They seem right on track to finish as the winners of Group F.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti provided injury updates on Karim Benzema and Fede Valverde
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that both Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde are set to be back in time for the La Liga clash against Girona next weekend.
After Real Madrid defeated Sevilla on October 23, the Italian manager told the media (via realmadrid.com):
“He (Valverde) got a knock to the leg and it’s bothering him. We’ll have to take a look at it, but I don’t know if he’ll be fit for Tuesday. Given that he just got the only goal last season, my coaching badge looked in serious danger, but he’s very responsible and getting me out of bother. I’m really not one to place bets”.
The 63-year-old also stated that Benzema will miss the Leipzig clash but highlighted the importance of the Frenchman for the team, saying:
“He won’t be fit for Tuesday, but I think he’ll make Sunday’s game. I’m not worried about him because it’s a very minor issue he picked up yesterday. It’s true that he hasn’t had a decent run, but when he is fit and motivated, he remains a very important player for us, although we’ve got such strength in depth that we’ve been able to cover the absence of such an important player."
He added:
"That doesn’t mean to say that Karim won’t be important in the second half of the season.”
Benzema has scored six goals in 11 matches in all competitions so far this season for Real Madrid.
