Zidane admits Madrid lack a 'number nine'

The Real Madrid manager has admitted that Real Madrid are lacking a number nine, a typical striker in the team this season.

This is coming after Karim Benzema's injury in the 1-1 draw with Levante over the weekend. The Frenchman is expected to be out for about a month.

Real Madrid have lacked firepower upfront. Cristiano Ronaldo has missed the team's last four domestic matches. In his absence, Madrid have won just one of their three league matches, and are four points behind table toppers Barcelona.

As it stands Mayoral is the only out striker available for selection, but players like Gareth Bale and C. Ronaldo can be played in an advance attacking position.

Zidane, assessing the team's striking options ahead of the team's Champions League opener against APOEL on Wednesday, said he never wanted to sell Alvaro Morata, and said the team lack a 'number nine'.

“It’s true that when you look at the players that we had, like Morata and Mariano, when you look now and you have only have Mayoral you could think we lack a number nine and that might be the case." Zidane said in his press conference ahead of the APOEL match.

"At the end of the day it wasn’t to be, above all with Morata. I’d have liked him to have stayed but he wanted to play more and he wanted to leave. In the end we couldn’t get anybody else in. I don’t want to go around in circles.

"I believe in Mayoral. He’s young, he’s eager and he’s hungry. We have Karim (Benzema) but he’s not available, and we have Gareth (Bale).  we’ll manage with the players we’ve got and we’ll do it well, I’m convinced of that.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is available for selection against APOEL, but will again miss the team's next league fixture against Socediad. That will however be the last match of his five match ban.

Bale is yet to hit top form, while Benzema before his injury has been struggling for goals.