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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that they are unsure of the exact problem with superstar forward Karim Benzema's recent injury.
Benzema needed to be substituted in the first half of Los Blancos' UEFA Champions League opener against Celtic on Tuesday (September 6). The Frenchman seemed to have suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Eden Hazard at the half-hour mark.
Ancelotti has now provided an update on Benzema's condition. The Italian tactician stated that it didn't look like a serious issue, though they are yet to find out what the exact problem is. He stated (as quoted by Real Madrid's official website):
“It doesn't seem to serious. We'll wait for tomorrow but early signs imply it's nothing to worry about. We have to wait until tomorrow. It's unclear whether it's a muscle issue or if it's his knee.”
Benzema began the new season from where he left off last campaign. The striker has scored thrice and assisted once in four La Liga matches to help Real Madrid sit atop the standings with maximum points. He also found the back of the net in their 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Benzema notably scored 44 goals and laid out 15 assists across competitions last season. His exploits helped Los Blancos lift the La Liga title, Champions League trophy and the Supercopa Espana.
Real Madrid kickstart Champions League title defense with 3-0 victory over Celtic
Real Madrid opened their 2022-23 Champions League campaign with a 3-0 victory over Celtic. The Scottish outfit put in an impressive display in the first half, but struggled to keep up those levels of intensity after the break.
Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring at Celtic Park in the 56th minute, scoring past Joe Hart following an excellent cross from Fede Valverde on the counter. Four minutes later, Ancelotti's men were 2-0 up as Luka Modric scored with a trademark outside-of-the-boot shot from inside the area.
Hazard, who had replaced Benzema in the first half, settled the contest with 13 minutes of regulation time to play. The Belgian netted his first goal of the season by tapping Dani Carvajal's cross into an empty net.
Real Madrid will next face Red Bull Leipzig in their second group-stage match on September 14 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Leipzig were hammered 4-1 at home by Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League opener.
Prior to that, the 14-time European champions will host RCD Mallorca in La Liga on September 11.
