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Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema won his maiden Ballon d'Or award after a trophy-laden 2021-22 season on Monday (October 17).
Benzema, 34, led Real Madrid to a prestigious double last season with his world-class exploits on the pitch. He registered 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 games across all competitions for Los Blancos.
He guided his team to the UEFA Champions League crown and the La Liga title. The striker also helped his club add the Supercopa de Espana trophy to their ever-growing collection.
He also helped France lift their first-ever UEFA Nations League trophy in October last year.
Amidst all the plaudits, the question still remains: why does the former Lyon man wrap his right hand with a bandage for every single match?
According to The Sun, Benzema is forced to tape his hand before every contest to protect his fractured little finger on his right hand. He sustained the injury after colliding with Marc Batra during a La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Real Betis back in 2019.
After careful medical examination, the France international was informed that surgery would rule him out of action for two months. He opted to wait until the end of the season to have a successful operation. However, he rushed his recovery and injured his little finger again, for which he had to permanently tape his right hand.
Speaking before a UEFA Champions League group-stage fixture last year, the attacker shed light on his finger injury. He told reporters:
"I did have an operation, but when you have surgery, you have to be out for two months. I've hurt [the finger] again, but I don't have time to stop and have another operation, so I wear the bandage when I'm playing."
Benzema is next set to be in action for Real Madrid in their upcoming La Liga clash against Elche on Wednesday (October 19).
Real Madrid identify Inter Milan striker as Karim Benzema's replacement
According to Calciomercato, Real Madrid are in the pursuit of Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez as a replacement for Karim Benzema.
Martinez, 25, has been a revelation for the Nerazzurri since arriving from Racing Club in the summer of 2018. He has scored 79 goals and contributed 26 assists in 195 appearances for the Serie A club.
Inter value him at around a whopping €100 million and hold a strong hand in any potential negotiation as he signed a new deal last season.
