NIVEA MEN: Eden Hazard, class is permanent

Even the greatest players go through tough times, and Eden Hazard certainly falls into the bracket of world-class operators who have enough quality to pull through a sticky patch.

It’s fair to say that things aren’t going to plan for the playmaker at Real Madrid so far, following his high-profile move from Chelsea in 2019.

While the Blues have ultimately gone from strength to strength under Frank Lampard, with Hakim Ziyech stepping into Hazard’s creative boots, Los Merengues are toiling under Zinedine Zidane, with the Belgian emblematic of their current problems.

The last 18 months have surely been among the most testing of Hazard’s career, yet teammate Luka Modric is confident he can turn things around.

“He’s amazing, he’s going to prove it,” the Ballon d’Or winner told Spanish media. “Only injuries can prevent him going forward. When he’s been fit, he’s shown he’s important, it’s a shame. We need him.

“Hazard is one of the best in the world, he is incredible, and I am sure he will show it this year if injuries do not prevent it,” he added. “Last season he already showed that he was important until injuries stopped him.

“It goes to show why Madrid paid so much for him.”

The injuries, however, cannot be ignored…

As Real were defeated by Deportivo Alaves at the weekend, he suffered his latest setback—his eighth—in the last year and a half, picking up a thigh injury inside the first half an hour that will likely rule him out for much of the rest of 2020.

He’s made 28 outings for Real since moving from Chelsea, missing 35 in the process, and certainly, Los Merengues are yet to see much return on an initial outlay of £88 million that could rise to £150 million.

The former LOSC Lille man is their most expensive signing ever, and digging down into the numbers demonstrates the pressure on his shoulders.

To date, he’s cost the club £4.2 million per appearance, according to the Daily Mail, or £39.6 million for each of the three goals he’s scored.

He may have won the Spanish title last season, but be under no illusion, Hazard still has it all to prove in Madrid.

However, while the club’s hierarchy are reportedly frustrated with the 29-year-old’s impact in the capital, Zidane remains confident that Hazard can come good…and the France legend knows a thing or two about quality playmakers.

“Sometimes injuries happen and we have to endure,” the 1998 World Cup winner told journalists recently. “He is strong, I have no doubt.

“He is having a hard time lately,” he added. “We are going to help him to get better soon.

“It is a complicated situation for Eden,” the Real Madrid head coach concluded. “He’s never been injured in his career and now has more misfortunes.

“He will surely come back stronger. We look forward to seeing him with us again.”

They’re words that will surely give Hazard confidence as he looks—again—to make his return, and he certainly has the quality to prove himself once the injuries subside.

It’s important to remember, as well, that Hazard has not typically been an injury-prone player—he’s already missed more games at Real than he did in his entire Chelsea career—but rather, he’s going through a particularly unlucky spell.

There’s a reason he was part of a Blues side that won six major titles in seven years, often as their top performer and typically playing a key role in some of the Londoners’ most glorious hours.

“Eden Hazard is an incredibly gifted player, but he’s had a really difficult time since he went to Real Madrid for that huge fee,” former Chelsea and Republic of Ireland forward Tony Cascarino told talkSPORT.

“Injuries and obviously the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t helped him, it’s affected his career, but what a talent he can be for Belgium.

“I really miss seeing Hazard being Hazard, because he is a great player when he’s on,” Casc concluded, “when he switches on he’s up there with the best players who have ever played the game.”

The 29-year-old vowed—when he signed for Real—that he had moved to become the best player in the world, and while things haven’t gone to plan so far, his form for Chelsea as recently as 2018-19—when he scored 16 and contributed 15 assists across 37 appearances—should serve as a reminder for those keen to write him off.