Signed as one of the most expensive players in the history of football, Eden Hazard was seen as the ideal post-Ronaldo replacement for Real Madrid. The fee, which could rise to as much as €140m, was seen as a fair fee for truly exceptional talent. The Belgian had impressed hugely in the French Ligue 1 and then the English Premier League, only to finally earn a move to La Liga after years of success in blue with Chelsea. However, it is fair to say that this arrival at Madrid has coincided with recurring injury, inconsistency on the pitch, and issues with his weight.
The forward is now likely out for the season, and by extension UEFA Euro 2021, due to the continuation of even more injury. In his second season in Spain, Hazard has barely put together a run of games or impressive moments for Madrid. Indeed, reports in Spain suggest the player will now elect to go under the knife and see if a solution can be found to his now-chronic injuries.
Despite a relative lack of injury at Chelsea before signing for Madrid, his time in Spain has been fraught with injury, illness, and an inability to get on the pitch with any regularity. The surgical procedure expected will see his ankle worked on, and it could be the decision that sees him ruled out until the start of the 2021-22 season at the earliest.
When will Hazard receive surgery?
At the moment, reports in Spain suggest that Hazard wants to undergo surgery ASAP and would like to do so in England. James Calder, who previously operated on Hazard, is believed to be his number one choice for the specialist to work with. However, reports in Madrid also suggest that the club are not comfortable with this and would prefer that he has undergone treatment in Spain where they can view his recuperation.
The injury struck once again in training. He came on from the bench against Elche in a 2-1 win, after missing the previous two months through injury. However, a training injury has seen Hazard set back once again, with his manager admitting that he had little idea of what had happened to the Belgian to cause the injury in the first place.
Indeed, Hazard has played a miserly 14 games this season as he begins to suffer from recurring muscle and bone injuries. Given the eye-watering fee that Madrid paid, he has so far yet to provide any kind of meaningful return on the investment put into the player.
While many still believe in his talent, there are some reports that suggest Madrid are quickly losing patience with their marquee player. Unable to contribute on the pitch and offering precious little away from the game itself, there is next to nothing that Hazard can say has gone right for him in his time at Madrid. So far, with two seasons more or less ended by injury, it is hard to say much positive about what seemed such an exciting combination.