Real Madrid nervous about Benzema ahead of crucial PSG clash

The UEFA Champions League clash between Real Madrid CF and Paris Saint-Germain is just five days away, but the Spanish giants are still unsure if star striker Karim Benzema will be available to play. The Frenchman picked up a hamstring injury almost three weeks ago in a match against Elche, and has yet to return to full training until now.

Benzema is reported to have suffered a small tear in his hamstring, and missed the club's defeat at the hands of Athletic Club, which eliminated them from the Copa del Rey. Now, another trophy is at stake, with the first leg of the last-16 clash against PSG coming up on February 15.

Earlier this month, Real Madrid were still in contention to win every available trophy in the current campaign. They already won the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia last month, and are still at the top of the table in La Liga.

However, Benzema's absence made a huge impact against Athletic, and Los Blancos were unable to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. They will soon face a tough match against PSG, and manager Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping to have all of his best players available.

With just five days to go, it seems unlikely that Benzema will be able to start at the Parc des Princes. Depending on how he feels during training on Friday, he may be able to log in some minutes this weekend when the club faces Villarreal in La Liga.

Ancelotti will have a tough decision to make, with the club's medical team tasked to make an assessment of the player' condition. As much as they want Benzema to play, they can't risk a relapse and the possibility of a much longer recovery period.

The safest route would be to rest him this weekend, and hope that he can play at least part of the match against PSG. The rest of the squad will need to step up to make sure that they keep a comfortable lead in La Liga, with the gap now at just six points over Sevilla. They will also need to keep PSG at bay, and finish off the tie at home at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 9, hopefully with everyone healthy.

Brazilian forwards Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo struggled in the absence of Benzema in the match at San Mames, but Marco Asensio stepped up to score the winning goal against Granada last Sunday. Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale are both waiting for an opportunity to shine, with Luka Jovic also failing to gain Ancelotti's confidence.