Eden Hazard injury sends Zinedine Zidane back to the drawing board as Real Madrid prepare for pivotal week

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane must decide how to replace the injured Eden Hazard in Los Blancos’ attack ahead of huge games this week against Manchester City and Barcelona.

Hazard limped off in Madrid’s 1-0 defeat at Levante on Saturday night and is expected to be out for at least two months with a recurrence of his ankle injury.

The Belgian attacker missed three months – and 16 games in all competitions – with the original problem after he was injured in Madrid’s 2-2 draw at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in late November.

With the 29-year-old unavailable, Zidane now has to go back to the drawing board for two massive matches over the next seven days.

Madrid are at home to Manchester City in the first leg of the teams’ Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday night and then host Barcelona in a crunch Clasico clash in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Gareth Bale was left out of the squad for the trip to Levante after suffering from gastroenteritis during the week, but the Welsh winger will be back in contention for a place in the next two games – despite scoring only three goals this season.

Brazilian youngster Rodrygo could also be an option on Wednesday night, but he will miss the Clasico after he was sent off playing for Madrid’s youth team, Castilla, on Sunday.

Zidane also has Vinicius Junior, Lucas Vazquez and Luka Jovic, who could be in line to feature from the bench as Karim Benzema struggles for goals, having netted only twice in the last 10 games.

Marco Asensio is still making his way back from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained in pre-season and with Hazard out, Zidane could opt for five midfielders against City and Barca.

That would mean a start for Isco, along with Casemiro, Fede Valverde, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in a formation already used with some success by the French coach this season.

Meanwhile, the club must decide between conservative treatment for Hazard or an operation for the former Chelsea player, which would likely see him sidelined for around three months but available again – in theory at least – to play for Belgium at Euro 2020.

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