Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has denied claims that Karim Benzema is saving himself for the World Cup in Qatar.

Benzema has scarcely featured in recent weeks, and since winning the Ballon d’Or, Benzema has missed 5 games and played a total of less than 30 minutes.

Carlo Ancelotti has however shut down the rumours saying Benzema doesn’t want to play for Real Madrid, claiming that the Frenchman is also frustrated by the situation.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti denied it in his pre-match conference ahead of the Cadiz game.

He said: “It’s silly to assume that. He is the one frustrated the most with the situation, as he is entering the World Cup without the minutes he would have needed to be in better condition”.

“The only thing that bothers me is that Karim has not been able to help the team with his quality.”

“My players have never thought about the World Cup, neither told me not to play. They have always trained very hard” – the Italian concluded.