Eden Hazard facing race against time to be fit for the Euros, Belgium boss Roberto Martinez admits – as Real Madrid star has a ‘long way to go’ after suffering yet another injury setback
- Eden Hazard suffered his eighth injury at Real Madrid against Elche last weekend
- The 30-year-old forward now faces a race against time to be firing for the Euros
- Roberto Martinez admits the Belgium talisman has a ‘long way to go’ to recover
- Hazard will not undergo surgery, however, with club and country in agreement
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard is facing a race against time to be fit for Euro 2020 after his latest injury setback, Belgium boss Roberto Martinez has admitted.
The 30-year-old forward has endured a miserable time since moving to LaLiga and his woes continued with a muscle issue sustained last week.
The problem is his eighth major injury-related blow since joining from Chelsea in 2019 – and Martinez conceded Hazard has ‘a long way to go’ to regain fitness.
Eden Hazard is in a race against time to be fit for this summer’s Euros, Roberto Martinez admits
‘Rather than setting a timeline all that matters is to measure every day and to see that Eden is on the right path to get back to full fitness,’ Martinez said.
‘It would be wrong and gambling by anyone to try to imagine if Eden is going to be fully fit or not.
‘I feel his situation can be solved a lot earlier than the Euros but only when Eden goes from day to day, we will see the final answer.’
Belgium boss Martinez conceded injured winger Hazard has a ‘long way to go’ to regain fitness
It has been confirmed that, despite initial reports claiming otherwise, Hazard will not undergo surgery to fix the issue.
Going under the knife would potentially have seen Hazard miss the rest of the domestic campaign – as well as the rescheduled European Championships.
His latest appearance for Madrid lasted just 15 minutes in the fixture against Elche last weekend. The club explained his withdrawal was due to a ‘muscular problem’.
It was claimed that Hazard, feeling fed up with the constant injuries, saw surgery as a viable option.
Hazard was said to be considering surgery to correct his issues but will not go under the knife
Despite previously having surgery to correct an ankle injury, Hazard is said to have not felt comfortable while running, with persistent pains continuing to affect him.
Martinez struck an optimistic tone, however, when insisting that Hazard is in ‘good spirits’ and has his sights firmly set on returning from the treatment table once again.
He added: ‘He has a clear focus of getting himself fit as quickly as he can and it is our responsibility to support him so he can achieve that.
‘Knowing Eden and what we are dealing with is a player that has never been injured in his career and this is a real shock and something new.
Hazard, 30, will miss the start of Belgium’s 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign next week
‘There is a lot of uncertainty around that.
‘But in terms of the injury, I feel very positive that we can get to see the best Eden Hazard well before the Euros.’
Hazard will miss the start of Belgium’s 2022 World Cup qualifying bid – with clashes against Wales, Czech Republic and Belarus looming next week.
Eden Hazard’s Madrid injury woes
Aug 2019: Hamstring (1 month)
Oct 2019: Ankle (3 months)
Feb 2020: Ankle (3 months)
Sep 2020: Ankle (1 month)
Sep 2020: Leg muscle (1 month)
Nov 2020: Hamstring (1 month)
Jan 2021: Thigh (6 weeks)
Mar 2021: Muscle (6 weeks)
