Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema arrived today at the Royal Club’s qualifying camp, which is now in America, in preparation for the new season.

Benzema was absent from the Real Madrid delegation heading to America, in addition to not participating in pre-trip training in order to spend more weekends after receiving permission from coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Real Madrid will take part in the FIFA Champions Tour 2022, which will see them take on arch-rivals Barcelona in Las Vegas next Saturday, before facing Mexican team América in San Francisco on the 26th of this month and will end his tour against Juventus in Los Angeles on the thirtieth of the same month.

According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Ancelotti decided not to play with Karim Benzema in the friendly against Barcelona to give him a rest after the exhausting season the player spent with the team last season.

Real Madrid, winners of last season’s Champions League, are gearing up for a European Supermatch against Eintracht Frankfurt, last season’s Europa League champions, on 10 August.