The Italian discussed the Belgian after Hazard wasn’t given a single minute in the midweek win over Inter in the Champions League.
Real Madrid must be careful with Hazard because of past injuries
Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Eden Hazard is currently struggling with a minor knee injury and that his continuing fitness concerns mean he is struggling to play consecutive matches for Real Madrid. The Italian discussed the Belgian after Hazard wasn’t given a single minute in the midweek win over Inter in the Champions League. “He didn’t play in the last match as he had a minor knee issue, one that also bothered him in Friday’s training session,” the coach said at a press conference on Saturday. “We’ll see with Hazard, but he has improved in general. Yet, we must be careful with him because of past injuries. To play him in two matches in a row could be difficult. He’s not yet at the level we all want, but we’re all confident that he’ll get back to his best.”
Eden had been playing well
Gareth Bale is similarly struggling to stay fit, and Ancelotti was asked about the Welshman’s latest injury but couldn’t provide a date for his return. “We still don’t know how long he’ll be out,” Ancelotti said of Bale. “It’s quite a significant injury, but it’s tough to give a return date. It’s a shame. He had been playing well.” Looking ahead to Valencia and asked about the possibility of rotations being made in this game, Ancelotti admitted that some changes to the line-up could have to be made. “I think the team will have recovered physically in time for this very demanding match,” he said. “I think rotations are important because there are players who might be tired. I don’t think there will be sweeping changes, but we have to rotate some players, of course.”
“Valencia are in good form, so we’ll need to be intelligent. I’m not worried about their physical style, just their good form.”