D-77.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins in two and a half months and Didier Deschamps is scrutinizing the state of health of his troops more than ever.
If the right knee of Paul Pogba still inspires concern, just like the ischio N'Golo Kanté, the other internationals are for the moment spared from major injuries.
Karim Benzema, one of the spearheads of the attack of the Blues, belongs to this category.
In legs, the 34-year-old former Lyonnais has not even missed a minute of play since the resumption of Merengue.
He played all of La Liga's first four games and the European Super Cup.
Five games, five wins, three goals and an assist, the record is enough to delight Carlo Ancelotti, who was still questioned this Saturday about his captain's playing time.
"It's possible that he needs to rest on a game from time to time"
“We are not going to kill him, rest assured, launched the Italian technician after the sluggish victory against Betis Sevilla (2-1).
We play every three days from today (Saturday), so it's possible that he needs to rest on a game from time to time.
But so far he has played every week, and I feel very good physically.
He was not very fine in his last gestures today (Saturday), but it was not for a physical reason.
Real Madrid, who will travel to Celtic Glasgow on Tuesday, sit at the top of La Liga.
FC Barcelona, easy winner of Sevilla FC (0-3) thanks to a new goal from Lewandowski and two assists from French rookie Jules Koundé, is placed just behind, two points behind.
The fight for the title promises to be much tighter than the previous season.
Which does not help Carlo Ancelotti in his meticulous management of his stars.
Last year, Benzema started 31 of 38 league games and all Champions League fixtures.
He was only very rarely replaced at the top by Mariano Diaz, Luka Jovic or Gareth Bale.
The last two cities left in the offseason and the first is unable to compete with KB9, who is running for his first Ballon d'Or on October 17.