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Eden Hazard has been ruled out of Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League game against Manchester City as well as the La Liga El Clasico, AS Reports. The Belgian made his much-awaited return to the first team against Celta Vigo earlier this month and was again in the starting XI against Levante on Saturday. However, he limped off in the second-half at the Ciutat de Valencia, and the club later confirmed that their worst fears had come true.
The Belgian underwent scans after the game and it was revealed that he had a fracture in his right distal fibula. The club declined to comment on the length of his absence, but he is not expected to feature in the next two games. The La Liga giants next play Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, before they welcome archrivals Barcelona to town next weekend. Understandably, Hazard’s absence could prove to be costly for a Real Madrid side which has shown signs of cracks in the last couple of games.
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Hazard continues to struggle with injuries since moving to La Liga
Los Blancos succumbed to a 0-1 defeat to Levante on Saturday and allowed the Catalans to leapfrog them to the top of the La Liga table. Barcelona will go into the El Clasico with a two-point lead and Real Madrid know another slip off could see them drop further behind in the race to the title. Under such circumstances, Los Blancos would have liked to have Hazard firing on all cylinders for them, but the Belgian has failed to shake off his injury troubles this season.
Hazard has already missed 20 games due to injury since joining Real Madrid from Chelsea in the summer. He missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury and then endured a bruised ankle in the game against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League at the end of November. It was later revealed that he had a hairline crack in his foot, which ruled him out until the middle of February. Hazard has just one goal and two assists from 15 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid this season, as his struggles to come to terms with life in the Spanish capital continue.
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