Karim Benzema is remaining positive after being forced of with an injury in Real Madrid’s match against Celtic.
The Frenchman’s strong start to the season, in which he has scored four goals in six matches, was halted when he picked up an injury in his team’s Champions League opener in Scotland.
30 minutes into the match, he was forced off when he injured his knee, with the extent of that injury being very much unclear initially.
Real have since diagnosed Benzema with ‘an injury to the semitendinosus tendon and a strain to the quadricep muscle in his right thigh’.
With the World Cup just over two months away, it would have been a huge blow for the Frenchman if it proved to be serious, but reports have suggested he will only miss around four weeks at most.
However, that does mean that he’ll miss the local derby with Atletico Madrid as well as the Champions League tie with RB Leipzig, and could also be unable to take part in France’s Nations League matches at the end of the month.
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Nevertheless, he’s remaining positive and has promised to come back stronger.
“I will not complain, my response will be strong… thanks for all your messages,” he tweeted.
In Benzema’s absence, Eden Hazard looks set to be given a rare chance in the starting XI as a false 9 with no other top strikers in the squad following the departures of Luka Jovic and Borja Mayoral.
The Belgian came on to fill that role against Celtic and was hugely impressive, scoring one goal and creating another as the reigning champions claimed a 3-0 victory.