Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti expects to be without striker Karim Benzema when his team host Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Speaking in a press conference as reported by FCInterNews, the Italian coach explained that he does not expect the Frenchman to be back from the muscle problem he has picked up in time to face the Nerazzurri.

Benzema had to come off the pitch during the first half of Real’s La Liga win over Real Sociedad yesterday evening, with Luka Jovic replacing him.

The 33-year-old looked to have picked up a muscular issue, though it remains to be seen how serious the issue is.

Ancelotti expects the problem to at least see the striker sidelined for long enough that he will not be able to come back for the final Champions League group stage match, at any rate.

It remains to be seen if the Real coach will once again turn to Jovic when Inter travel to the Bernabeu or if he will find another solution in the absence of his talismanic striker.

“Benzema had a physical problem at the beginning of the match,” he explained, “he felt a bit bothered by it and he didn’t want to force himself to continue.”

“So I replaced him,” he went on. “We will evaluate the situation in the next few days, I don’t think he will be available against Inter.”