Karim Benzema has wasted no time during the international break. Although he has stayed in Madrid after announcing his retirement from the French national team due to his feud with coach Didier Deschamps, the Real Madrid striker worked hard in order to be in shape for the decisive last stretch of the season. Real Madrid need the best version of Benzema, as they are currently trailing LaLiga Santander leaders Barcelona by 12 points. Benzema was the top scorer of both the Spanish league and the Champions League last season. On Thursday night, he posted a picture of himself in a special training suit and captioned it with the message "strength for us" on his official social media account. It is the famous personalised body extreme, a vest that causes muscle contractions through electrical impulse and offers athletes an effect similar to that which would be obtained in an intense workout. Benzema has been key for Real Madrid this season too, but he has missed several games through injuries. He didn't feature against Espanyol and was previously sidelined against Osasuna and Real Mallorca. His injuries have affected his performances, but the break has served as an opportunity to recharge his batteries ahead of the last stretch. He stood out against Liverpool to help Real Madrid qualify for the quarter-finals, where they will face Chelsea. Last year, he scored three goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16, four against the Blues and another three in the tie with Manchester City. His future in white Benzema is one of the seven players whose contract expires this June. For the time being, he is focused on what remains to be done on the pitch and wants to stay put for another year. He is expected to extend his contract, but nothing will be finalised before Real Madrid's season is over.
