Benzema expected to miss Quarterfinals against Athletic Bilbao

Real Madrid attacker Karim Benzema will miss the Copa del Rey’s Quarterfinals match against Athletic Bilbao, according to a report from ABC. Benzema picked up a hamstring injury during Sunday’s home game against Elche and will focus on getting completely ready to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, which is just three weeks away.

Therefore, the French attacker will miss Real Madrid’s next three games. Los Blancos travel to face Athletic in the Copa del Rey on February 2nd and then they host Granada and visit Villarreal in La Liga before the crucial game in Paris.

Assuming Benzema’s recovery goes well enough, the French striker could play some minutes against Villarreal to improve his conditioning and regain some confidence three days ahead of the Champions League match, but the coaching staff will take a cautious approach knowing how crucial of a player Benzema is.