Karim Benzema missed Al-Ittihad’s last match (a home defeat) and was announced with a calf injury three days before the next Saudi Pro League match. The reigning Saudi Arabian champion is only fifth in the rankings.
The situation is serious at Al-Ittihad and Karim Benzema can do nothing about it. The reigning Saudi Arabian champion had already started the season very badly (Nuno Espirito Santo was replaced by Marcelo Gallardo on the sidelines), but the 2023-2024 financial year could really end in trouble. Al-Ittihad remains on a home defeat against Al-Shabab (1-3) and finds itself fifth in the standings, with two points less than Al-Ahli, the third, where Riyad Mahrez plays.
With five days remaining, Al-Hilal has a nine-point lead and will soon be crowned champion. Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, will finish freewheeling and also qualify for the next Asian Champions League. However, only the top three in the Saudi Pro League qualify for the Asian C1, which goes from 40 to 26 participants in the group stage. The Al-Ittihad of “KB9” is therefore in an unfavorable position. It would be a terrible snub.
Benzema and Fabinho out of the group
Benzema withdrew against Al-Shabab last Friday and could well miss the next match against Abha, the 17th in the ranking, where Ciprian Tatarusanu, Grzegorz Krychowiak and François Kamano play. The 2022 Ballon d’Or is the victim of a “small tear in left calf”, as the Jeddah club indicated on Tuesday, three days before the match. Fabinho is also away from the group, while N’Golo Kanté has returned to training.
Benzema, 36, is having a rather average season in Saudi Arabia, with a league record of nine goals and seven assists in 21 matches. For comparison, his former Real Madrid friend “CR7” has 29 goals and 10 assists in 26 games. Al-Ittihad supporters took a dislike to him last fall and the Lyonnais then requested his departure ” temporary “. He would still be waiting for a solution to get a change of scenery this summer.
