Eden Hazard Suffers Fresh Injury Setback in Real Madrid’s Clash With Alaves

Real Madrid have been dealt another potentially serious blow to their title defence, after Eden Hazard was forced to leave the field in the first half of their match against Alaves with another injury issue.

The 29-year-old has never quite got going for Los Merengues, and has succumbed to a series of injuries related to his ankle since his move from Chelsea in the summer of 2019.

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Hazard leaves the pitch in frustration | PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/Getty Images

The Belgian star appeared to have finally got back to full fitness and put in a strong performance against Inter on Wednesday night, but that progress has been halted once more. Hazard started for Los Blancos against Alaves on Saturday evening, but he had to come off on the half-hour mark with another fitness issue.

Brazilian youngster Rodrygo replaced the winger, who will now undergo tests to understand the severity of the problem. Hazard cut an extremely dejected figure as he left the field, clearly feeling the frustrations of another setback in his Madrid career.

The winger’s spell in Spain got off to a bad start when he suffered a hamstring strain upon arrival, and a hairline fracture in his foot in November, meaning he was absent for a number of months. He returned to the side for two games before falling to a fibula problem, and was sporadically in and out of the team for the rest of the campaign.

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Hazard in action against Alaves | Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Injury has blighted Hazard’s start to the new season, and he was making only his third league appearance of the campaign against Alaves, but that was cut short after only 30 minutes.

Madrid fans will wait nervously to discover the severity of this new problem, having witnessed the best of their expensive star in the 2-0 victory over Inter in the Champions League.

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