Marcelo Gallardo, the coach of the Saudi football club Al-Ittihad, holder of the Saudi Professional League title, said on Sunday that the return of the French player Karim Benzema to participate with the team depends on his physical readiness.
Benzema was absent from the Union’s 4-0 victory over Al-Faisaly in the quarterfinals of the King’s Cup today.
The Union stated through the “X” platform that the French star is preparing to return to training after undergoing a special training program.
Gallardo said in a press conference, “Benzema is currently implementing a physical and technical preparation program. It depends primarily and finally on him. When he is fully physically ready, he will participate, and will return to group training on Monday.”
In the last days of the transfer period, which ended last January, media reports indicated Benzema’s anger at the Union’s decline in the current season of the Saudi league, and that he missed the team’s camp in the Emirates in search of a move to another club last January or a return to Real Madrid.
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid denied media reports about the French player’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Benzema scored 12 goals in 20 matches with the Union this season, including 9 goals in the league and two in the Club World Cup.
The Union is not experiencing the best times in the Saudi league this season, as it has collected 28 points from 18 matches and suffered 6 defeats, including the loss in the last 3 matches in the league before the competition was suspended due to the participation of the Saudi national team in the AFC Asian Cup.
When asked about the presence of 10 foreign players in the team while the regulations only allow registration of 8, the Argentine coach replied, “We have 10 foreign players, and we only need 8 according to the regulations, which means that two players will be outside the squad.”
He added, “I asked the officials in the club to consider the matter, but that has not happened so far. If it were up to me, I would have made the decision.”
