Zidane: "There is no debate over Morata or Benzema"

The Real Madrid coach says that both Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema have important parts to play this season as calls for the Spaniard to replace the Frenchman get louder.

Zinedine Zidane has backed Álvaro Morata to play a big part for Real Madrid this season, despite continuing to keep faith in the off-form Karim Benzema.

Both forwards have scored three goals so far in the 2016/17 campaign, though Morata has bagged them in 91 minutes less and has largely had to make do with making appearances from the bench.

Calls for Morata to start 

Calls from fans and the media have been getting louder in recent weeks for Morata – who rejoined the club from Juventus for €30m in the summer – to replace the Frenchman in the starting 11 after Benzema has put in a number of lethargic performances.

Morata was particularly impressive when he entered the fray for Madrid in the second half against Legia on Wednesday, making an immediate impact to set up fellow substitute Lucas Vazquez before netting himself to make the scoreline 5-1.

Zidane, however, says he believes there doesn’t have to a big debate between who starts and who doesn’t, as both players are “important” to the side.

"He’s going to be part of the team’s success"

“[Morata] contributes a lot and is an important player,” Zidane told a press conference before Real Madrid’s home clash against Athletic Bilbao on Siunday. “What I say to Álvaro is that it’s a very long [season] and he’s going to be part of the team’s success. Tomorrow you’ll see if he plays.

“For me there is no debate over Morata or Benzema, they’re both important.”

Another player who’s been pushing hard for a starting spot recently is Lucas Vazquéz, who like Morata, has consistently made an impact from the bench.

Vazquez also pushing 

“He’s very professional,” said Zidane on Vazquez, who agreed a new contact with the club earlier this week. “He’s always happy. I love him as a player and a person.”

The 25-year old forward, however, may find it even more difficult than Morata to break his way into the first 11 this season. His main competitor for the right-sided attacking spot is Gareth Bale, who’s arguably been Real Madrid’s most potent force up front in a relatively underwhelming start to the season for the club’s first-choice BBC frontline.

How bad is Benzema's injury?

 It was a great start to the season for Real Madrid on Sunday night with the win away at Real Sociedad setting the scene for the season to come.  Particularly pleasing for Zinedene Zidane would have been the performance of the players he brought in due to the unavailability of the regulars.  With Pepe, Keylor Navas, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo of course all currently unfit and Luka Modric suspended; three points away are always welcome.

It's looking as though Gareth Bale managed to survive an injury scare in the second half; jumping for the ball and coming down heavily on his ankle.  With two of the ‘BBC' already missing from the line-up, Zinedene Zidane could ill afford Gareth making up the trio.  Madrid hearts were in their mouths for a moment or two until he got up and started hobbling; a little to begin with and then the injury appeared to settle thereafter.  
With Cristiano still unavailable following his recent knee injury in Euro 16, Karim Benzema also missed the Real Sociedad game.  The official diagnosis in a statement by the club explained that the condition was reported to be sacroiliitis.  Any condition ending in ‘itis' means that inflammation is present so Karim's condition is basically an inflammation of the sacro-iliac joint (SIJ). This can be an extremely painful condition.  Often linked to non-specific lower back pain (LBP), sacroiliac pain comes in various guises but the main symptom is one of pain; frequently of that ‘nagging' type that just won't go away.  No matter what you do or what position you try to get into, the symptoms are still present and constant, with varying degrees of discomfort ranging from a minor irritation right through to downright excruciating pain.
The sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) is the joint that connects the lower back to the pelvis, highlighted by the arrow in the illustration below.

In medical terms, the lower part of the lumbar spine is called the sacrum, while the anatomical name for the pelvic bone is the ilium.  The area where the two meet is called the sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) and it is a joint where very little movement actually occurs.  Movements in this area of the body take place at the hip joint or in the lumbar spine; with true movement at the SIJ minimal and limited to a few degrees only.

Several factors can affect the SIJ, including impact running -€” which is common in pre-season training, and leg length discrepancies where one leg is shorter than the other.  Other biomechanical factors can affect the condition such as muscular imbalances and / or carrying an injury to other areas such as the knee for example.  Often, SIJ pain accompanies LBP and the causes can be insidious, frequently without single specific incident or injury leading to symptoms.  SIJ pain can often result from lower back pain and vice versa.  With sit-ups generally thought to aggravate the condition, exercises of this type should be avoided and the abdominal region should be trained in conjunction with specific back exercises targeting the ‘core' as a whole while not over-training one particular aspect of it.

Karim's not had to look too far for his injuries in the past year or so.  He's a big lad and his game is a physical one; and he uses his upper body strength to his own advantage in match situations, screening the ball and holding people off.  Because of his robust style of play and position on the field, he often takes a battering from the opposition.  His core strength will have been developed through intensive training; and it's possible that his current injury occurred through gradual onset added to an accumulation of months of physical play compounded by previous injuries.  It was reported initially that Karim was suffering from a hip injury and in another report a back injury was mentioned.

An injury to the SIJ would cover both of those complaints; particularly if the origin is of a non-specific nature which has gradually worsened.  Either way, a short period of rest should help and hopefully things won't take too long to settle.  When using term ‘rest' we are talking more of an ‘active rest' with the emphasis being placed on resting from the activities which flare up the symptoms.  So you wouldn't expect to see Karim pounding the track for example; but you would expect to see him doing plenty of gym work, using the anti-gravity treadmill a lot and in particular, placing a big emphasis on swimming.

By avoiding the known aggravating factors, Karim will be able to maintain his general aerobic fitness while at the same time giving the inflammation a chance to run it's course until the condition finally settles.  It's always difficult to put a time on injuries or conditions of this nature but he shouldn't be expected to be out for longer than a few weeks.  The key, as always, is in making sure that he has recovered to the full extent before trying to bring him back into the team before he's fully ready.

Real begin pre-season with depleted squad

Work has begun on the forthcoming season, but for Real Madrid pre-season will start without many regular faces in the team.

The Champions League winning squad is back in the Spanish capital to have medical tests done ahead of a long and arduous campaign, and on Saturday Los Blancos set sail for North America, where over the course of the next few weeks they will take part in friendlies and events.

Zidane will have the majority of his first team available, with the notable exception of international players fresh from the Copa America and European Championship, allowing several young players on the periphery of the squadto make up the touring squad's numbers.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Ruben Yanez, defenders Danilo, Raphael Varane, Nacho, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo, midfielders Casemiro, Isco, Marco Asensio, and striker Karim Benzema form part of the aforementioned glut of senior players, which will be accompanied by the likes of, among others, Mariano, Enzo and Luca Zidane, Martin Odegaard and the recent addition of Sergio Díaz.

There is a long but exciting season ahead for Real Madrid, who are aiming to retain the Champions League, a feat no side has thus far managed.

Euro 2016 Group A-B preview: Host of issues haunt the French; Have the English restored the faith?

Groups A and B: Scandal-plagued national team still favourite to advance at expense of goal-starved rivals.

GROUP A

France

Best finish: Champions (1984, 2000) Euro appearances: 8 Marquee player: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

Oddsmakers say: +325 (A bet of $100 will win you $325) How they got here: Qualified as host

The skinny: The French. So talented. Usually favourites. But there's usually some form of scuttlebutt at major tournaments.

Back in 2010, France's World Cuppers abandoned a training session mid-tournament due to Nicolas Anelka's feud with head coach Raymond Domenech.

This time around it's controversy involving multiple players and allegations Karim Benzema attempted to extort teammate Mathieu Valbuena using a sex tape.

As a result, neither made head coach Didier Deschamps Euro roster, despite Benzema scoring 28 times for Real Madrid in 2015-16.

So there's that. Not many sides in the world have the luxury of leaving top talents off their rosters, but Deschamps puts character ahead of club performance.

Still, Les Bleus have two top strikers in Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) and Olivier Giroud (Arsenal). And the midfield - led by Juventus star Paul Pogba - might be the most talented in the tournament. While defensive depth remains a concern, the French have lost just once since September of last year, a stretch that includes wins over the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Serbia and Portugal.

Romania

Best finish: Quarter-finals (2000) Euro appearances: 4 Marquee player: Vlad Chiriches (Napoli)

Oddsmakers say: +15,000 to win How they got here: Finished second in Group F, edging out Hungary and Finland for automatic qualification.

The skinny: The Romanians were one of four teams to remain unbeaten in UEFA Euro qualifying. Still, they managed just a second-place finish - behind Northern Ireland - in Group F. One statistic, though, lends the Tricolorii hope. The Eastern Europeans conceded just two times over 10 European qualifiers, giving them the best goals-against average in all of Europe.

At the opposite end, however, the fact they scored just 11 times is the principal issue. And without a star player to name throughout a roster littered with domestic-based players, Romania will likely be in a fight to emerge as a third-place finisher.

Still, the goal in group play could be to capitalize on a chance, a set piece late in games. There are so few goals in this side, it's not even worth naming the attacking options.

Look for Romania to claw and scrap its way to single-goal games that could go either way.

Albania

Best finish: Have never qualified before. Marquee player: Lorik Cana (Nantes)

Oddsmakers say: +35,000 to win How they got here: Finished second in Group I, edging out Denmark for automatic qualification.

The skinny: Much like fellow Group A participant Romania, the Albanians don't have a big name to speak of. They're more pragmatic than pretty. They're more defensive than anything.

The fact they managed to navigate a formidable qualifying group surely counts for something. After all, Albania started Group I play with wins over Portugal and Armenia, in addition to back-to-back draws with Denmark.

That said, Denmark will feel hard done to not be at its ninth Euros after Serbia forfeited three points to Albania early in qualifying, allowing the Eagles to finish two points ahead of Denmark in the qualifiers.

Through eight games, Albania conceded just five times against UEFA sides capable of scoring goals. Head coach Gianni De Biasi has experienced defenders to lean on.

Defenders Elseid Hysaj (Napoli) and Arlind Ajeti (Frosinone) both play in Italy, while captain and centre-back Lorik Cana plays in France. For Albania, Euro 2016 is about doing the things that got them here: Playing mistake-free, hard-as-nails defence, while converting the few opportunities they'll see.

Switzerland

Best finish: Group stage (1996, 2004, '08) Euro appearances: 4Marquee player: Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City)

Oddsmakers say: +6,600 to win How they got here: Finished second in Group E, five points clear of third-place Slovenia.

The skinny: Alongside France, the Swiss are undoubtedly favoured to advance from a group that's split in terms of quality.

Stoke City midfielder Shaqiri is in the prime of his career next to Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) and Valon Behrami (Watford).

Centre-back and captain Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus) patrols the back end for a Swiss side that's always a threat to get to at least the last eight at every major tournament they enter.

Still, despite having a roster littered with top talent playing in top leagues across Europe, Switzerland hasn't shown it can compete with the big boys of UEFA.

La Nati twice fell to England in Group E qualifying and aren't exactly in top form heading into this competition. The red and white also have lost to mid-majors in Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent months.

The good news for Switzerland is it opens Euro 2016 with winnable games against Albania and Romania. Passage could be secured before they meet Les Bleus on June 19.

GROUP B

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MORE EURO 2016 PREVIEWS: GROUP C-D | GROUP E-F

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England

Best finish: Third place (1968) Euro appearances: 9 Marquee player: Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Oddsmakers say: +750 (A bet of $100 will win you $750) How they got here: England finished atop Group E, nine points clear of second-place Switzerland

The skinny: The Three Lions are back in the mix for at least a semifinal appearance at Euro 2016 after cruising through European qualifying.

England was the only UEFA nation to win 10 of 10 en route to accumulating a ridiculous plus-28 goal differential.

Following an embarrassing display at the 2014 World Cup, England has restored faith. Manager Roy Hodgson has called on a young squad to replace names like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Jermain Defoe.

Wayne Rooney remains in the mix for yet another major tournament, although his lack of scoring form leaves his place up for debate.

Much of England's success will rest with Harry Kane (Tottenham) and Jamie Vardy (Leicester City). The attacking duo scored a remarkable 49 combined league goals in 2015-16, arguably making them the most potent striking tandem in the tournament.

The only concern could be England's midfield, where a gaggle of ordinary talent is pooling.

Russia

Best finish: Champions (as Soviet Union in 1960) Euro appearances: 9 Marquee player: Aleksandr Kokorin (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Oddsmakers say: +6,600 to win How they got here: Finished second in Group G, two points ahead of Sweden.

The skinny: The Russians appeared to be heading for a Euro playoff before sacking Italian bench boss Fabio Capello midway through qualifying.

As if a an early draw to Moldova wasn't bad enough, the Russians twice lost to surging Austria during European qualification, ending Capello's time in charge.

In came manager Leonid Slutsky, who righted the qualifying ship with consecutive wins over Sweden, Liechtenstein, Moldova and Montenegro.

Twelve months following that turmoil, the Russians find themselves firmly in the hunt to advance from a balanced Group B containing decent competition.

Russia's aging, domestic-based side might have to turn back the clock if it's to advance beyond the second stage. Truth is, this is another Eastern European side that doesn't have many goals in it.

Much like Albania and Romania, though, the Russians have always been stingy. They conceded goals five times in qualifying and will look to grind their way into the knockout stages.

Wales

Best finish: Have never appeared Marquee player: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

Oddsmakers say: +5,000 to win How they got here: Finished second in Group B, four points clear of third-place Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The skinny: The Welsh undoubtedly benefitted from being lumped in with a weak qualifying group that included the likes of Andorra, Cyprus and Israel.

Still, work had to be done. And much of that work was done by striker Gareth Bale, who scored seven of Wales' 11 goals during qualifying.

While there's no question Wales is a one-man team - maybe more so than any other Euro participant - manager Chris Coleman has the Dragons playing as a team.

Wales conceded four times in qualifying, pitching six consecutive shutouts that included a draw and win over powerhouse Belgium. Let that sink in.

Wales could finish anywhere from second to last in Group B. Heck, is a first-place finish ahead of rival England that big of a stretch at this point?

The U.K. sides meet in a massive fixture June 16 in Lens.

Slovakia

Best finish: Have never appeared. Marquee player: Marek Hamsik (Napoli)

Oddsmakers say: +1,500 to win How they got here: Finished second in Group C, three points clear of third-place Ukraine.

The skinny: Slovakia is almost always overlooked. The Slovaks have top talents in Europe.

Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel is the skipper, while creative midfielder Marek Hamsik is capable of unlocking any defence in UEFA.

Since the 2010 World Cup, though, Slovakia's problem has always been its lack of strikers. Manager Jan Kozak will carry just two forwards into these Euros: Adam Nemec and Michal Duris.

Neither play at a high level. Nemec, you'll recall, couldn't hack it with Major League Soccer's New York City FC last season.

But there's something to be said for a Slovakian side that managed to navigate a qualifying group containing Spain, Ukraine and Belarus. They even beat Spain 2-1 in Zilina to kick off qualifying. As we've seen with Slovakia over the years, it's a team capable of shocking anyone.

Title could be decided in dramatic penultimate weekend in Spain

MADRID, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish BBVA Primera Liga could in theory be decided on Sunday if results go the way of FC Barcelona, while at the other end of the table the battle to avoid relegation is tenser than ever.

As penultimate round of matches in Spain all kick off at the same time on Sunday, Barcelona level on points with Atletico Madrid and one ahead of Real Madrid.

Barca's superior goal difference means they could theoretically be crowned champions by 7pm if they win their home game against local rivals Espanyol, while Atletico lose and Real Madrid fail to win.

The reality is likely to be somewhat different and everything points to the season going into a cliff-hanging last game as Atletico visit bottom of the table Levante, who are already guaranteed second division football for next season, while Real Madrid are at home to a Valencia side looking to end a disappointing campaign as soon as possible.

Barca have once again had a week to prepare for their game and coach Luis Enrique can expect another tough encounter against a side who used extremely physical tactics to draw 0-0 in the first meeting between the two sides this season.

Espanyol have no love for their neighbors and will give everything to stop them winning the title in a game which promises to be difficult for referee Gil Manzano to control.

Atletico and Real Madrid both played tense European matches in midweek, but have so far not paid any physical price for their efforts.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone will be against suspended in the stands as his side visit Levante and Atletico will make some changes to their side with Tiago Cardoso available again following injury.

Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane will once again have to make a call on the fitness of Cristiano Ronaldo, who again looked below his best in midweek, Karim Benzema and Casimiro, who both missed out the 1-0 Champions League win at home to Manchester City on Wednesday.

He will take comfort from the fact that the Real Madrid squad has shown time and again it has the depth to overcome absences through injury.

The rest of Sunday's drama comes in the battle to avoid relegation where three teams (Getafe, Sporting Gijon and Rayo Vallecano) are tied of 35 points with Granada on 36 and Deportivo la Coruna not out of danger on 39.

Getafe's home game against Sporting Gijon will probably be decisive with the loser almost certain to join Levante in the second division.

Rayo Vallecano travel to play Real Sociedad, while Granada will hope to take advantage of tired legs in Sevilla after the home side qualified for their third Europa League final on Thursday night.

Meanwhile Deportivo face Villarreal, who suffered semi-final heartbreak on Thursday, but are assured of a fourth place finish in the league.

Other key matches see Athletic Club and Celta continue their duel for fifth with Athletic away to Las Palmas and Celta at home to Malaga and the only match with nothing at stake sees Eibar at home to Betis.

Seventy three per cent of the French public DO NOT want to see Karim Benzema in the national squad

Real Madrid superstar snubbed by countrymen after string of scandals

AN astonishing 73 percent of the French public do NOT want delinquent superstar Karim Benzema in the national team, a survey has revealed.

The Real Madrid striker has been subject to two court investigations into money laundering and his alleged attempt to blackmail a team-mate.

And after the French Prime Minister said he should be omitted from Les Bleus' Euro 2016 squad, a damning poll by Odoxa/ L'Equipe has revealed that 73 percent of the public agree with him.

Benzema, 28, has not played for France since last October, when he was banned from contact with team-mate Mathieu Valbuena after being accused of trying to extort him over a sex-tape.

But the ex-Lyon ace, who has notched 81 caps for his country, has been posturing for a place in Didier Deschamps's Euro 2016 plans when it was lifted in March.

Benzema has not played since a sex-tape scandal involving team-mate Mathieu Valbuena

On Bale... Benzema, middle, is in good form for Real Madrid and has scored 20 goals

After France's impressive 4-2 victory against Russia — in which attackers Kingsley Coman and Andre-Pierre Gignac scored — the public could be forgiven for not wanting him back.

And with Arsenal's Olivier Giroud, Manchester United's Anthony Martial and Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette all chomping at the bit for a place too, Benzema faces unprecedented competition for a place.

But the striker has been in superb domestic form, scoring 20 goals for Madrid this season and some corkers in training recently:

Noel Le Graet Comments on Karim Benzema, Mathieu Valbuena Sex-Tape Plot

The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) spoke Wednesday regarding Karim Benzema and his alleged involvement in a plot to blackmail fellow national team playerMathieu Valbuena.

"Maybe I have protected Karim excessively in this matter, but I really like him and we all make mistakes," said Noel Le Graet in an interview with Paris Breizh Media (h/t Teamtalk via Fox Soccer). "He got carried away by stupidity in this case. He has been stupid like a donkey. But I don't believe in lecturing people."

Benzema remains suspended from the national team and could miss out on the 2016 European Championships, which are being held in France starting in June.

French authorities are continuing to investigate Benzema's alleged role in an extortion plot aimed at Valbuena. According to Angelique Chrisafis of the Guardian, a childhood friend of Benzema's contacted the Real Madrid striker to approach Valbuena as a middle man in the extortion attempt, which centered around a sex tape involving Valbuena.    

In an interview with L'Equipe (via Spanish paper AS), Valbuena's lawyer, Didier Domat, said his client would be willing to play with Benzema if necessary.

"Nothing has changed," Domat said. "It shouldn't be forgotten that Mathieu put the interests of the France national team ahead of his own."

Even if Benzema's suspension is lifted between now and the Euros, national team coach Didier Deschamps has final say over his team selection.

Given the way off-field drama has often spilled over to France's on-field performance at recent tournaments, Deschamps will likely want to avoid letting this become a divisive issue in his quad, even if it means leaving Valbuena and/or Benzema off the roster.