"Tomorrow he will not play because the feelings are not good, he trained on Friday, he looked good and then he had a little trouble, so he will not be available" on Monday, said Ancelotti during the pre-match press conference.
The Italian technician was still confident to have his star striker on Thursday against Cadiz, during the 14th day of La Liga, the last before the break due to the World Cup.
Against Cadiz, "I don't think (Antonio) Rüdiger will be available, but Karim (Benzema) will be", explained Ancelotti, also citing the German defender of Real, suffering from hip discomfort, according to the press.
Benzema made his comeback in Wednesday's Champions League game against Celtic after missing three official games with muscle fatigue in his left thigh.
The captain of the Merengues came into play in the 62nd minute in place of Vinicius.
Ancelotti said then that Benzema was feeling good and would therefore be available for the game against Rayo Vallecano.
But on Saturday and Sunday, the French international did not train with his teammates, contenting himself with indoor exercises.
In any case, there is no question of preserving it for the World Cup which begins in 15 days.
"We look at the facts, assured Ancelotti again and the facts say that he cannot play, therefore he will not play".
The Real Madrid coach has also already projected himself on the post-World Cup: "The absence of Karim in this first part of the season has allowed us to rely on players who have a lot of quality like Rodrygo , Vinicius, Valverde. We made up for Karim's absence by showing more quality," Ancelotti said.
"After the break we will need him, I'm sure he will reach the level of last season," concluded the Los Blancos coach.
© 2022 AFP