"We can't think of him as just any old player" - Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois believes struggling Eden Hazard's quality must not be forgotten

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has backed Eden Hazard to get back to his best and feels his compatriot cannot be forgotten just because of his age.

Hazard has had a woeful spell at Real Madrid since his big money move from Chelsea in 2019, and is no longer the preferred option in attack.

The Belgian has played in 11 games across all competitions so far this season for Real Madrid, and is yet to open his goal-scoring account.

Despite his struggles in attack, his compatriot Courtois believes everyone has forgotten how good a player Hazard is and that he will be an important player for Real Madrid this season.

"I don't think he's sad. It's quickly forgotten how good a player he is and you can't forget that quality," Courtois told reporters in a press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash.

"We can't think of him as just any old player, because he's not. I'm sure he's going to be important for us. With training and matches he'll get there," he added.

Eden Hazard’s struggles at Real Madrid after Chelsea move

A lot of Hazard’s struggles at Real Madrid have something to do with rhythm. The injuries certainly haven’t been kind to him as they have upset his rhythm.

Hazard has missed more games with Real Madrid in the last couple of years than he did over his seven-year spell at Chelsea. That explains a lot as he has struggled with consistent niggles that have stopped him from gathering momentum and impressing at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Belgian is facing stiff competition from Vinicius Junior as the Brazilian is doing extremely well on the left flank. Vinicius has complemented Karim Benzema well, so Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to change personnel unless the Brazilian has a massive drop in form.

Hazard played just 14 league games for Real Madrid last season, and 16 the year before that. He will hope to stay injury free in the coming months and play more regularly this season.

Los Blancos are doing well in La Liga and the Champions League, and will hope to use their squad depth to challenge for multiple trophies this season.