Karim Benzema is expected to shake off a minor foot issue to lead the Real Madrid line against Barcelona on Sunday afternoon.
The France international picked up a knock after the Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk during the week but is not believed to be at risk of missing out on El Clasico.
The 33-year-old has scored 11 times and registered eight assists in 11 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti's side during the 2021-22 campaign, including nine goals and seven assists in eight league outings.
Real Madrid have not been in league action since losing to Espanyol at the start of the month, as their clash with Athletic Bilbao, which was scheduled for last weekend, had to be postponed due to the South American World Cup qualification fixtures.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how Benzema has fared against Barcelona in the past.
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Benzema has faced Barcelona on more occasions than any other club in his professional career, tackling the Catalan giants 39 times during his time at Lyon and Real Madrid.
The striker boasts a record of 11 wins, 10 draws and 18 defeats against the Catalan giants, while he has found the back of the net on 10 occasions, in addition to proving nine assists.
Only against Athletic Bilbao (14), Granada (14) and Valencia (13) has Benzema found the back of the net on more occasions than Barcelona throughout his senior career.
Interestingly, the forward's three previous meetings against Barcelona in the Champions League came during his time at Lyon, as he was an unused substitute during Real Madrid's semi-final two-legged affair with the Catalan outfit during the 2010-11 campaign.
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In La Liga, Benzema has faced Barcelona on 24 occasions and has a record of seven wins, five draws and 12 defeats, while he has scored seven times and registered four assists against them.
Last season, the Frenchman played a key role in both league wins over Barcelona, providing an assist in the 3-1 victory at Camp Nou, in addition to scoring in a 2-1 success at the Bernabeu.
Benzema is actually unbeaten in his last four league appearances against Barcelona, recording three wins in the process, with his last defeat against Real Madrid's bitter rivals occurring in early 2019.
The former Lyon youngster has only scored once in his last 10 league outings against the Catalan side, though, and has lost half of his La Liga encounters with his side's Clasico rivals.
Matt Law
