Karim Benzema has been omitted from Al Ittihad’s squad for their upcoming AFC Champions League match against Uzbekistani team Navbahor, as confirmed by a source to ESPN.
This decision comes amidst strained relations between the player and his coach, Marcelo Gallardo.
Gallardo has deemed Benzema unfit for the journey after the 2022 Ballon d’Or recipient arrived late to his team’s training camp in Dubai during the Saudi winter break, citing storm-related travel delays from Mauritius.
Despite feeling prepared to play, Benzema has been left out of the squad by Gallardo.
The match against Navbahor marks the first leg of the AFC Champions League round of 16.
Benzema was also absent in Al Ittihad’s recent victory against Al Tai in the Saudi Pro League, following a dispute with Gallardo regarding his participation in a training session.
In AFC Champions League fixtures, teams are limited to selecting five foreign players.
For the Navbahor game, Gallardo opted to include N’Golo Kanté, Fabinho, Ahmed Hegazi, Romarinho, and Abderrazak Hamdallah ahead of Benzema, the former French international.
Benzema, who joined Al Ittihad as a free agent last summer, has recorded 15 goals in 24 games across all competitions. However, he has expressed disappointment with the quality of football in the Gulf nation.
Despite considering a return to Europe during the January transfer window, Al Ittihad rejected the idea and attempted to loan him to another Saudi club, a proposal Benzema declined.