MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said his Belgian star Eden Hazard was ready to make his official debut on Saturday against Levante in the fourth round of the Primera Liga.
"We all want to watch Eden, there is a lot of pressure, aspirations. We know the situation. He is ready and this is the most important thing," the coach, who is waiting for much of his Belgian back to training after recovering from a thigh injury, told a news conference on the eve of a match at the Santiago Bernabeu. .
Hazard, one of the most noteworthy transfers this summer with a 1 million-euro deal from Chelsea, suffered a pre-season injury but is ready to return after full training in recent days.
However, Zidane demanded patience on Hazard. "We have to approach it quietly. He was injured for three weeks and he resumed training a week ago."
"We have seven matches in 21 days and we have to approach them very carefully. It will be up to me to determine the minutes and time of play, because we need it for a long time, for several games, not one."
The return of Hazard to the competition is good news for Real, especially as it comes before the first continental summit of the club in the Champions League on Wednesday against Paris St Germain in the first round of Group A.
Hazard's return also comes as the team struggles with injuries, particularly with Croatian Luka Modric and Marco Asensio.
Zidane said he does not care about the criticism of the team after falling in the draw twice in the three stages held so far in La Liga, saying that "comments and everything said, will not change. We know what we want to change inside (the team) and we will do things well."
"We don't have to talk anymore. We have to respond on the pitch," he said.