Benzema’s Out Again?! But…But… I Want Him Playing NOW!

He just turned nineteen. He’s scored three Champions League goals. Thierry Henry expects him to win the Ballon d’Or someday. And I totally want to adopt him.

But first things first. Let’s get Lyon striker Karim Benzema better and get him playing again so he can get his first cap for Les Bleus.

I’ve read a handful of interviews with and articles about Karim, and I have to say that this kid comes across as incredibly, refreshingly levelheaded. I’ve seen no hint of ego. The brass at Lyon all seem to adore him. And he’s unbelievably talented. So I’ve been regularly checking the news since his thigh injury last November 10 to see when he’ll be back. And I’ve been crossing my fingers that it will be in time for the France-Argentina friendly on Feb. 7.

I’m still crossing my fingers, but the news at the moment isn’t great. He played for about half an hour on Saturday for Lyon, and that seemed to go okay. But he had to leave practice on Wednesday because of pain in the original injury area. The docs say he’s suffering from “adhérences cicatricielles.” (My best guess here would be scar-tissue adhesions? But what do I know.)

The medical department says “It is neither a relapse nor a new injury.” (Gosh, guys, thanks for narrowing that down. Now that we know what it’s not, can you tell us what it is??) He’s undergoing more medical tests today and we should know soon how long he’ll be out this time.

I keep telling myself that the kid is only nineteen and still has plenty of years left to play. But my patience is wearing thin. I want him on the team now!

(The one bright side here for me is that this could open the door for Trézéguet in February. But still.)

Get better soon, Karim!