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The 29-year-old lasted less than 30 minutes before having to be replaced by Rodrygo
Eden Hazard was withdrawn in the first half of Real Madrid’s game against Alavés on Saturday with an apparent injury.
The Belgian winger lasted less than 30 minutes before limping off the field when Zinedine Zidane’s team ultimately fell 2-1 to the visitors.
After the match, Zidane expressed his hope that Hazard’s injury would not leave him out for long.
“I think and hope it’s just a hit,” he said at his post-match press conference. “I hope he’s not muscular.”
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Hazard was making only his third La Liga appearance this season, as the 29-year-old’s campaign has been severely interrupted by injuries as he missed the start of the campaign due to a muscle problem.
He played for the first time in 2020-21 when he left the bench in the Champions League draw with Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of October and returned to the starting eleven four days later in the league game against Huesca, scoring the first goal while running. winners 4-1.
A few days later, however, he tested positive for Covid-19 and had to be sidelined for a short period.
Hazard was back in action last week when he started in a 1-1 draw against Villarreal in the Spanish top flight.
He then took part in a 2-0 win at Inter in the Champions League in the midweek, in which he opened the scoring after just seven minutes.
Madrid fell behind Alavés just five minutes after Saturday’s clash when former Arsenal and West Ham striker Lucas Pérez converted a penalty.
Hazard had a chance to level the score later in the half when he picked up the ball near the midline and drove towards goal. However, the effort of the former Chelsea star was denied by Alavés goalkeeper Pacheco.
Madrid trailed two goals early in the second half when Joselu picked up a wayward pass from Thibaut Courtois from 25 meters and deposited it into an empty goal. Casemiro seized a belated consolation, but eventually Alavés clung to a famous victory.
Hazard has made 28 appearances in all competitions for Madrid since arriving from Chelsea in the summer of 2019.
