Karim Benzema 'is left OUT of Al-Ittihad's ACL squad' amid fallout with manager

Karim Benzema's nightmare season at Al-Ittihad has continued after reportedly being left out of the club's travelling squad for an Asian Champions League clash.

The former Real Madrid forward was the Saudi Pro League side's marquee signing last summer, joining from the Spanish giants on a free transfer and signing a three-year deal.

The Frenchman has performed well on the pitch - scoring 15 times from 24 games in all competition - but problems have emerged off the pitch after a row that began after the player returned late from training last month.

Benzema was said to have been excluded from training after returning from his holiday 17 days late last month, which left his new employers incensed after telling the striker to report back for duty on January 2.

A source said they couldn't even establish contact with him for 10 days as he holidayed in Mauritius, although he was reportedly stuck there initially due to a cyclone.

That meant that Benzema did not travel with his team-mates to their mid-season training camp in Dubai, with the fallout seeing Benzema ask to temporarily leave the club as he was linked with the likes of Manchester United.

And having also been dropped from their Saudi Pro League game against Al-Tai last week, Benzema has now been handed another blow after boss Marcelo Gallardo failed to name him in the squad for their Asian Champions League trip to Navbahor Namangan in Uzbekistan, according to Spanish outlet AS.

Al-Ittihad have a limit of five non-Asian players they can name in a Champions League squad, with Gallardo opting for defender Ahmed Hegazy former Premier League midfielders N'Golo Kante and Fabinho and forward Romarinho and Abderrazak Hamdallah.

The report claims that Benzema lacks match sharpness