Madrid (AFP)
Real Madrid's Belgian international striker Eden Hazard suffered a new right foot injury Saturday in Levante, four days before receiving Manchester City in the Champions League first knockout round and one week before the start of the competition, the Real Sunday via press release.
"The medical examinations carried out today (Sunday), (...) revealed a crack in the level of the right distal fibula in our player Eden Hazard", indicated the Madrid club via press release Sunday, eight days after the return to the Belgian competition (29 years old), already victim of a "microfracture" of the right ankle in November and absent for three months.
Real Madrid did not specify the duration of the rookie's unavailability of his last summer transfer window (1 goal and 5 assists in 15 games in all competitions this season), but his absence could amount to several months, according to Spanish media this Sunday.
He could therefore miss the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Manchester City on Wednesday (8 p.m. GMT) and the return leg from Liga on Sunday 1 March (8 p.m. GMT) at the Santiago-Bernabeu.
Returning to competition barely eight days ago after a malleole of the right ankle suffered during the match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage on 26 November, Hazard appeared to be victim of a "blow", according to his coach Zidane, Saturday evening on the ground of Levante for the 25th day of Liga, where Real Madrid suffered its second defeat of the season in the league (1-0).
Hazard continued to run for a few minutes limping for his second game and second tenure since returning from injury, then was replaced by Brazilian Vinicius in the 65th minute. He went back to his bench with a grimace, then an ice pack was placed on his right ankle.
"The feeling is bad. It doesn't seem to be going right. He hurt himself where he was injured. It was a blow, I think. There, he still hurts, but we will see tomorrow (Sunday) at the time of the medical examinations, "Zidane already feared in a post-match press conference on Saturday evening.
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