Hamstring injury to sideline Eden Hazard for at least 3 weeks

MADRID - Real Madrid on Monday confirmed that winger Eden Hazard suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Alaves.

The Belgian was forced to leave the pitch in the first half of the game and wasn't included in the squad that on Monday flew to play Shakhtar Donestk in the Champions League.

The Real Madrid website confirms that tests carried out on Monday confirm Hazard has "an injury in the rectus femoris muscle of his right leg", adding that "is recovery will continue to be assessed", without giving a date for his return.

However, this kind of injury usually sidelines a player for at least three to four weeks, meaning Hazard will miss vital La Liga matches away from home against Sevilla, Eibar and possible Elche and home games against Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club Bilbao and Granada, as well as what could (depending on Tuesday's result against Shakhtar) be a decisive Champions League tie at home to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Hazard's injury history since joining Real Madrid from Chelsea in the summer of 2019 doesn't invite optimism over a swift recovery given that this is the seventh important injury he has suffered in less than a season and a half and the third he has had in the 2020-21 season, in which he was also sidelined for 14 days with the coronavirus.

Between injuries and illness that means he has been unavailable for selection for 255 of the 542 days since his signing was announced and participated in just 28 of Real Madrid's 64 competitive games during that period.