The images are painful to see: in each match, the 31-year-old international, recruited for 115 million euros in the summer of 2019, goes to warm up in the second period, on the sidelines … then returns to the field. bench without having a chance.
Latest example on Saturday. While Karim Benzema was preserved due to muscle discomfort, Hazard might have claimed a starting place in the Madrid eleven for the short trip to Getafe in La Liga (success 1-0). But Ancelotti preferred Fede Valverde, Rodrygo and Vinicius to him.
Even Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz entered late in the game. But not Hazard.
“Wanna play”
Apart from a bang on the first day of the Champions League, with a goal and an assist on the field of Celtic Glasgow (3-0), Hazard has since played only three matches in La Liga, once morest Mallorca, Almeria and Celta Vigo, without managing to be decisive.
“He’s fine, he’s training well. He’ll have his chance soon,” the Italian technician promised on Saturday at a post-match press conference.
“If a player asks me for explanations, I will give them to him, but Eden did not come to speak to me. He knows his situation well, the competition is tough, for many players. His situation is quite clear”, swept “Carletto” before the game once morest Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
On August 29, he once more assured that Eden Hazard had “all (s) confidence”.
“There are complicated moments. I want to play. To play more. I feel good at Real despite the situation,” assured the striker in early October, when he was called up for selection.
Martinez’s questions
Even in Belgium, the case of the most expensive player in the history of Real Madrid questions. “We now have to wonder if Eden Hazard can still play 90 minutes, or seven matches in a very short period of time,” admitted Red Devils coach Roberto Martinez in an interview with RTBF on October 3.
With his selection, Hazard was aligned for around 60 minutes twice at the end of September in the League of Nations, appearing lacking in rhythm once morest Wales (2-1) and the Netherlands (0-1).
“Eden hasn’t played a string of matches for a very long time, and that has consequences. We’ll take stock of his situation as the World Cup approaches, and we’ll see what role we can give him. But I don’t. do not see as a joker (…), he is a player who must take the rhythm of the match in hand, from the start”, continued the Catalan technician, qualifying him as “one of the best players in the world in the ability to create danger”.
After the success once morest Wales, Hazard said he was “happy to play and start a game” and said it was “up to (him) to scratch the minutes”.
For this trip to Warsaw – the match is taking place in Poland due to the war in Ukraine – Real Madrid should find their other Belgian Thibaut Courtois, who suffered from sciatica last week, and probably also their favorite striker Karim Benzema .
Which would further reduce Eden Hazard’s chances of playing.
