Al Ittihad are set to host Al Nassr on Matchday 4 of the Saudi Pro League, where former Real Madrid teammates and current league stars Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo could square off once again. Ahead of Friday’s game at King Abdullah Sports City, Al Ittihad head coach Laurent Blanc offered an update on Benzema’s availability.
Al Ittihad opened the season in the Saudi Super Cup, where they already faced Ronaldo’s Al Nassr. Benzema featured in that match but failed to make an impact, with his side falling in the semifinals in their first setback of the season.
The French striker responded in the SPL opener with a hat trick against Al Okhdood in a 5-2 away win. However, Al Ittihad later announced that Benzema sustained a muscle injury during training before their second league clash with Al Fateh, and he has been sidelined since.
Following Tuesday’s game against Al Wahda, Blanc addressed Benzema’s recovery. “We hope he will be ready for the match against Al Nassr. He has the desire to participate, and we share that desire as well,” the French coach said, noting that Benzema has rejoined training.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr (R) shakes hand with Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad (L) during to the Saudi Super Cup semi final.
Benzema has yet to appear in September, missing 4 matches between the Saudi Pro League, AFC Champions League Elite, and most recently the King’s Cup. Despite his layoff, his quality means he would likely return straight into the starting lineup if deemed fit.
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Will Cristiano Ronaldo feature against Al Ittihad?
Like Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo’s status has also been questioned after his absence in Al Nassr’s King’s Cup debut against Jeddah Club. With the team cruising to a 4-0 win, head coach Jorge Jesus left Ronaldo on the bench.
Asked about the decision, Jesus explained his reasoning. “I did not include Cristiano Ronaldo, nor João (Felix) and the other stars from the start because they played a match just three days ago. I wanted to preserve them from a fitness perspective for the league, as we are preparing ourselves physically and mentally for the upcoming match,” the Portuguese manager said in his post-match press conference.
