Why Karim Benzema wears a bandage on his hand when he plays

Benzema has worn a bandage on his hand in games since 2019

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, you may have noticed, wears a bandage on his right hand each time he plays football. This has been the case for a number of years now, giving rise to the theory that the striker chooses to continue to wear it for superstitious reasons.

Benzema first wore bandage after finger injury

The bandage is actually the legacy of an injury he originally picked up during a league game against Real Betis in January 2019 which still hasn't been fixed. Benzema started the game in Seville, which Real Madrid won 2-1, but had to be substituted towards the end after picking up a hand injury after a clash with Marc Bartra. It was announced after the game that Benzema had fractured a finger and would require an operation to correct it. With the recovery time said to be two months, the Frenchman opted to finish the season before having the surgery. [caption id="attachment_332345" align="alignnone" width="640"] Benzema after fracturing his finger during a game against Real Betis in January 2019.[/caption]

Benzema suffered setback with rehabilitation

That summer, Benzema had the operation, which was deemed a success. Eager to be back in time for the start of the 2019/20 season, however, he rushed his rehabilitation and damaged the finger again before it had fully healed. Since then, Marca reports, he has decided to play on with the injury - hence why he still wears the bandage when he plays. The injury has had little impact on his playing performance, with Benzema averaging over 30 goals a season in each campaign since damaging the finger. Related links:

• When Sergio Ramos dropped the Copa del Rey from the top of a bus
• QUIZ: Name every club to reach a Champions League final
• Title QUIZ: Guess which year these Champions League photos were taken