Hazard set to play in first ever El Clasico – 3 years after joining Real Madrid
Eden Hazard is set to feature in his first El Clasico on Sunday despite the fact he's been a Real Madrid player since 2019.
The £100million former Chelsea forward arrived at the Bernabeu as the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo's jewel-encrusted throne, but his stint in Spain quickly turned into a nightmare following a brutal string of injuries.
The 31-year-old has subsequently spent the last three seasons swapping the treatment table for the substitutes bench, but after finally removing a metal plate in his fibula – which had been surgically fitted after he broke his ankle in March 2020 – Hazard insists he's finally ready to show the world what he's made of again.
READ MORE: Real Madrid 'pleasantly surprised' by new-look Eden Hazard after summer of hard work
With Madrid facing Barcelona in a friendly in Las Vegas tomorrow morning, Hazard is expected to make his long-awaited El Clasico debut, especially after 'pleasantly surprising' coaches after returning to pre-season training in tip-top condition.
The Belgian will be desperate to reproduce the kind of breathtaking form he was in for Chelsea for the majority of his seven years at Stamford Bridge – guiding the Blues to six major honours, including two Premier League titles.
Hazard was arguably the Premier League's greatest player for four or five seasons, sitting comfortably in the bracket just below Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. A far cry from today.
Will Eden Hazard ever rediscover his best form or his career at the top level over? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
The winger has suffered an excruciating 16 injuries since joining Madrid and has seen his stock dip so low that he barely even got used as an impact sub by manager Carlo Ancelotti last season when fit.
For Hazard, the upcoming season is very much the last chance saloon for him in the Spanish capital. Few players who spend so long out of form and on the sidelines rarely ever get it back, and given how much Los Blancos are paying him, their patience won't last forever.
It'll take something truly magical for him to resurrect his Madrid career, but if anyone's capable of producing a rabbit out of a hat, it's Eden Hazard.
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