Benzema Urges Misfiring Mbappe To Embrace Striker Role At Real Madrid

Mbappe has been deployed through the middle by manager Carlo Ancelotti since switching from Paris Saint Germain in the summer.

The 25-year-old has scored eight goals in 15 appearances so far but has only found the back of the net once in his last six games.

Vinicius Junior remains first choice on Mbappe's preferred left flank in attack.

Mbappe has come in for criticism for his performances in Real Madrid's recent defeats to Barcelona and AC Milan.

Benzema believes Mbappe should learn to play as a striker as he will not be able to displace Vinicius from the wings.

"The problem, in my opinion, is that [Mbappe] is not a central striker, even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine he doesn't feel right, because that's not his position," former France striker Benzema said on Spanish television show El Chiringuito.

"On the left, he's got a guy who's at the same level as him, Vinicius, so there is a problem, you can't play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right, because when he plays on the left he makes the difference in every game.

"Mbappe isn't a real number nine. People ask a lot of him and he's under a lot of pressure, this isn't Paris St-Germain."

On his advice to Real's present number nine, Benzema said: "Don't give up, because I don't think he's going to push Vinicius to move. He's the best player in the world at the moment.

"Mbappe needs to get it into his head that today he's a number nine, and forget about the left flank for a while."