Real Madrid's Eden Hazard to undergo surgery yet again

Bad news for Eden Hazard, who faces another trip to the operating table. "In the coming days, our player, Eden Hazard, will undergo surgery to remove the osteosynthesis plate in his right fibula," Real Madrid confirmed this afternoon in a statement on their official web page. The Belgian forward will once again put his faith in the hands of doctors to find a solution to the problems which have followed him ever since he underwent surgery to stitch together a facture to his right shin bone.

Realted Hazard news

Hazard could not wait any longer as the operation is imperative for his own health. He hasn't been 100% fit and delaying treatment might only make the problem worse. Removing the metal plate will be positive for his leg but also for his own piece of mind as it will help him to focus on getting back to full fitness. Tests were conducted on the player's leg nine days ago after he complained of pain in the zone.

Diario AS understands that Hazard hopes to be back at full strength and ready to play competitively within five weeks to one month. It means that he will be unavailable for the deluge of games which Madrid have in the coming weeks. Ancelotti's team will play five games in 15 days - Celta, Chelsea home and away, Getafe and Sevilla. Hazard and his inner circle had been thinking about having the metal plate removed for some time - it was just a question of finding the right moment. While he doesn't seem vital to Ancelotti's plans (he hasn't played since the Alavés game on 19 February), it seemed that now is as good a time as any.

The World Cup later this year

The fact that Hazard has decided to have the operation now is telling, It could mean that he wants to get it out of the way and be fully fit for the World Cup later this year. He is part of Belgium's golden generation of players alongside the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Courtois. Belgium have gone far in all of the recent major tournaments but have yet to live up to their expectations. In 2014, they reached the quarter finals, and ended third at Rusia 2018 after losing to France in the semi-finals and beating England in the match for third place. Qatar could be his last opportunity to achieve international success at the highest level. The tournament kicks off on 21 November, so he will have plenty of time to get himself back to his best.

Previous operations

The last time Eden went under the knife was in March 2020 in Dallas. In charge of that operation was Doctor Eugene Curry. But his fitness issues date back to 2017. He suffered a fracture at the base of his right shin bone, which required surgery and left him sidelined for three months. That intervention consisted of inserting a metal plate and screws to hold the bone fissure together until it healed of its own accord while stabilising the ankle joint. But he aggravated his condition while in action on 26 November. During the Champions League group game against PSG, he was on the receiving end of a tackle by Thomas Meunier, which left him limping and facing a new setback.

That incident left Hazard with bruising around his ankle and a new hairline fracture which flared up a couple of months later. In total, he spent 151 days on the sidelines because of that tackle and missed 18 games. He returned on 9 May 2020 with alterations made to the plate in his right shin bone. But since then, he has been a shadow of the player which lit up Stamford Bridge on so many occasions.