Eden Hazard has had a rough season, plagued by injuries in his maiden year with Real Madrid. The Belgian footballer underwent an operation last March to repair a fracture in the fibula of his right foot. It has already been two months since that procedure and the midfielder is now back training with his Real Madrid teammates.
Hazard claims that he is now feeling good and happy to be working himself back to shape alongside his teammates. But as far as returning this season, it appears the 29-year-old footballer has no plans of suiting up for Los Blancos. Hazard will take a cautious approach before returning to action, likely a result of that forgettable experience he had in his first season with Real Madrid.
Sad as the development may be, it may be for the best for Hazard. He is aware that this year is an adaptation season for him and injuries have made his debut pretty forgettable. Aside from an ankle injury, the Belgian also dealt with hamstring and foot injuries. Hazard only appeared in 15 games across all competitions and managed to score a lone goal.
Bad as it may look, Hazard prefers to look at it differently. He feels that his maiden season was not entirely that bad. However, he knows that his second year will not be as forgiving. Considering Real spent a whopping $112 million to pluck him out of Chelsea, management wants to see if it was worth getting him. Hazard showed signs of brilliance when he was healthy. Hence, the main concern right now is his durability. On cue, this explains why he would prefer to work himself back to competitive shape rather than rush back onto the field.
Hazard saw action back in February when Real Madrid played Barcelona. He saw action for 70 minutes and appeared to be ready to show Los Blancos what they got. Unfortunately, fell to the injury bug once more. Aware that another injury could be fatal, it seems Hazard is saving himself for next season instead.
For Zinedine Zidane, a Hazard return could be a big boost to their campaign. Los Blancos is second in the La Liga table, trailing Barcelona by only two points. But Hazard and likely Zizou may be thinking long-term. Rather than force the issue now with risks, it may be in the best interest of both sides to save off a return until the Belgian is ready and healthy to play once more.
