Karim Benzema will reportedly be kept wrapped in cotton wool this weekend as Real Madrid prepare for their Champions League showdown with Liverpool on Tuesday.
The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner was on the mark twice for Los Blancos last weekend as Carlo Antelotti's side recorded a thumping 4-0 win against Elche in La Liga. But French international Benzema, who missed last year's World Cup through injury, is reported to have finished the game in 'slight discomfort'.
As a result, Madrid are now expected to rest the 35-year-old for their weekend trip to Osasuna, preferring to keep him fresh for the Round of 16 first leg clash at Anfield, in a re-run of last May's Paris final.