Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema has stated that he will be fit for Sunday’s La Liga match against Barcelona.
The 35-year-old scored the only goal of the encounter in Los Blancos’ 6-2 aggregate win over Liverpool in the Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday.
Benzema got a hard knock just before scoring in the 78th minute, forcing him to be replaced in the 82nd minute.
The Frenchman has had a series of fitness issues this season, and he missed the previous league match against Espanyol due to a minor ankle injury.
Nevertheless, speaking after the European match against Liverpool, Benzema dismissed concerns that he could be unfit for selection against league leaders Barcelona.
“It was just a real blow to my shin but that’s all it was, a knock, I’ll be fit for Sunday,” Benzema told reporters when asked how serious the injury was.
“Football today is all about digging in. Everyone wants more but sometimes you have to suffer in a game. The important thing is to win it and get through.”
Benzema has now scored 19 goals and provided five assists in 28 outings for Los Blancos this season.
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Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti also stated that the forward would “recover without any problems for Sunday” when questioned after the encounter with Liverpool.
“It’s a knock. He was feeling a bit sore and it hurts a little, but I think he’ll recover without any problems for Sunday,” said the Italian on Wednesday night before assessing his team’s performance.
“It was a good game, we delivered a complete performance. We could have easily slipped up but we were disciplined early on, with our ideas clear in our minds, and we finished strongly as well.”
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