Real Madrid: Hazard, injured again, could miss El Clásico on 25 October

More setbacks for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. Just when it seemed he was over his injury woes, and fully recovered, the club announced today that the player has suffered a new injury, this time, muscular. "After tests conducted today by Real Madrid Medical Services, our player Eden Hazard has been diagnosed with a muscular affecting his right leg. The recovery period will depend on how the injury evolves" a medical report explained.

Hazard could miss Barcelona game

Reading between the lines, that phrase "depending on how the injury evolves" can be understood as from three to four weeks. In the most optimistic of estimates, Hazard could face between two and four weeks on the sidelines. He will also miss tonight's meeting with Valladolid for which he was due to start on the bench, Sunday's game against Levante, the meeting with Cádiz on 18 October and potentially, El Clásico at Camp Nou on 25 October - by which time he will have spent 25 days recovering.

Hazard's latest injury has come as a big surprise. Firstly because he trained as normal yesterday without any problems. Secondly, because Zidane then explained in the post-session press conference that the player was progressing well and added how pleased he was with his evolution. And thirdly, because Hazard was included in the squad list for tonight's visit from Valladolid. Lastly, because this morning he was called up by Roberto Martínez for Belgium's game against England on 11 October. The coach stressed that the player would only be involved if he was playing and training as normal with Real Madrid. “If, for a reason, Eden is not involved in those two games [Valladolid and Levante] then he will carry on working individually with Real Madrid and he wouldn’t be involved in the games with the national team, as you would expect,” he said.