Karim Benzema is expected to be back in the Real Madrid XI for Saturday's La Liga clash with Celta Vigo.
The France international was not involved against Barcelona before the international break due to a calf problem, but he has been back in training this week and is expected to start this weekend.
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.
The centre-forward has netted 22 goals and contributed 11 assists in 25 league outings, meanwhile, which has played a key role in Carlo Ancelotti's side sitting nine points clear at the top of the La Liga table.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how Benzema has fared against Celta in the past.
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Benzema has faced Celta 17 times during his Real Madrid career and boasts an excellent record against them, winning 13 times, drawing two and losing on just two occasions.
The Frenchman has managed nine goals and seven assists against the Sky Blues, meanwhile, including nine goals and six assists in 13 La Liga appearances, so he should enter this match full of confidence.
Benzema has also tackled Celta on four occasions in the Copa del Rey but has won just one of those matches, suffering two defeats in the process, registering only one goal against them in the competition.
The experienced striker has actually been absent for six La Liga matches against Celta through injury, missing both games between the two sides during the 2015-16 campaign.
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Benzema's recent form against Eduardo Coudet's side has been excellent, though, hitting a treble against them in the La Liga contest at Bernabeu earlier this season, which finished 5-2 to Los Blancos.
The forward also scored twice and provided an assist in Real Madrid's 3-1 win in Vigo last term, so he has managed five goals and two assists in his last two league outings versus the Vigo outfit.
Benzema has actually netted on each of his last four visits to Celta in the league, also starring in a 3-1 success for the capital giants during the 2019-20 campaign.
The Frenchman scored in a 6-0 win for Los Blancos during the 2017-18 campaign, meanwhile, and the fact that he has won 12 and drawn one of his 13 league appearances against Celta should mean that the striker's confidence is high heading into Saturday's contest.
However, it will be fascinating to see whether he plays the full 90 minutes this weekend, as the match comes just four days before a trip to Chelsea in the first leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final.
Matt Law
