Spanish football evening headlines: Benzema out for Madrid, Metzelder faces court trial and Barcelona candidate speaks on Mbappe and Haaland | OneFootball

Spanish football evening headlines for 22 February.

Benzema out for Madrid

Monday’s Real Madrid news is focused on their midweek Champions League Round of 16 first leg clash against Atalanta, with Karim Benzema ruled out of the clash.

Read more: Real Madrid confirmed squad v Atalanta: Only 11 fit senior outfield players as Benzema misses out

Sergio Ramos, Eden Hazard, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal, Fede Valverde, Rodrygo Goes, Alvaro Odriozola and Eder Militao are all on the absentees list for Los Blancos, who have just 11 senior outfield players available.

Metzelder faces German court

Former Real Madrid defender and Germany international Cristoph Metzelder will stand trial in April on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography images.

Read more: Former Real Madrid defender Metzelder prosecuted on child pornography charges

The former central defender will face a court in his district of Düsseldorf, with the trial expected to last for three weeks and an outcome expected on 10 May, as reported by Marca.

Barcelona hopeful on star duo

Barcelona news is focused on comments from the club’s presidential hopeful Toni Freixa on his pledge that signing both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland is possible.

Read more: Barcelona presidential candidate: “Signing Haaland and Mbappe? It is absolutely possible”

A bullish Freixa told Catalan radio station RAC1, in quotes carried by Marca: “Signing Haaland and Mbappe? It is absolutely possible and this is what Barça must do; signing players of that level.”