Karim Benzema returns to Real Madrid for injury treatment | OneFootball

Benzema missed Al Ittihad's 3-1 defeat to Al Shabab last week and has missed a number of fixtures throughout his debut campaign because of muscle problems.

To try and get to the bottom of his injury struggles, Al Ittihad confirmed that a deal had been struck for Benzema to visit the medical staff with Madrid for an expert opinion.

"Karim Benzema is undergoing further examinations in Real Madrid's clinic with his former doctor in Spain, who supervised his care in previous years," Al Ittihad said in a statement.

"The consultations were arranged between Ittihad's medical teams and Real Madrid regarding Benzema's injuries, which caused him to miss key matches this season. Benzema has already left for Spain and is expected to return next week."

Benzema is back working with Madrid / Soccrates Images/GettyImages

Aside from injury struggles, Benzema's first year with Al Ittihad has also been full of transfer rumours.

The January transfer window saw Benzema heavily linked with a return to Europe following reports of a bust-up with Al Ittihad manager Marcelo Gallardo, although the Frenchman did publicly claim he remains happy in Saudi Arabia.

Benzema, whose deal with Al Ittihad runs until 2026, scored 354 goals in 648 games for Real Madrid across a 14-year spell which also saw him lift four La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues.

This year, Benzema has bagged 13 goals and added a further eight assists in 29 games for Al Ittihad, who find themselves fifth in the Saudi Pro League, a whopping 30 points adrift of leaders Al Hilal.