Al Ittihad striker Karim Benzema has reportedly missed training and has been ruled out of a trip to Dubai by manager Marcelo Gallardo. The forward was supposed to turn up for a training camp on Friday but did not show up, prompting Gallardo to travel to Dubai without him, according to Marca. Benzema has now missed training on three separate occasions.
Benzema won’t be late for the Dubai training camp and hasn’t received permission from the Al-Ittihad boss to be absent. His absence comes after he skipped a pre-match meeting with Gallardo, who couldn’t provide any explanation for the striker’s absence.
The 32-year-old former Real Madrid star, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, has said that he wants to be involved in the Saudi project, but also wants to win titles. That does not seem likely this season, however, as he and his teammates find themselves in the middle of the league table, having won eight out of their 18 matches.
As a result, Benzema is not likely to live up to his top-of-the-market billing, and he has certainly fallen short of expectations so far. He has scored 15 goals in 24 matches, but had a falling out with former manager Nuno Espirito Santos before he was dismissed.
Benzema is far from alone in struggling to adjust to a new lifestyle and playing environment. A number of players have made the switch from Europe to the Middle East, but have failed to bring their best form with them, with some now looking to move on.
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