Carlo Ancelotti confirms Karim Benzema will miss El Clasico

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Karim Benzema will miss Sunday's El Clasico with Barcelona due to a calf problem.

The France international was unable to train with his teammates on Saturday morning due to the issue that he picked up in the La Liga win over Mallorca on Monday.

Ancelotti revealed at his pre-match press conference that the centre-forward would be unavailable for selection against Barcelona but should be fit to return "next week".

"Benzema and [Ferland] Mendy will not play tomorrow. Karim will not join France next week. Benzema has not trained yet and he still feels a little discomfort. He has suffered a small injury that doesn't let him train," Ancelotti told reporters.

"I'm not worried about Benzema. He's 34 so he has suffered small problems this season but he has always returned stronger. He will recover next week and he will be ready for the most important part of the season."

Benzema has been in excellent form for Los Blancos during the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 32 times and registering 13 assists in 34 appearances in all competitions.

Mariano Diaz, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo, Gareth Bale and Isco are all options to replace the 34-year-old in the starting XI against Barcelona this weekend.