‘Maybe one day we don’t have Eden Hazard’ – Jose Mourinho eerily predicted ex-Chelsea star’s injury plight… in 2015
EDEN HAZARD’S injury hell at Real Madrid was predicted by his former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in 2015.
Hazard’s spell at Los Blancos has been blighted by repeated setbacks since joining from the Blues three years ago.
Hazard, 31, has picked up his 16th injury at the Bernabeu – with the Belgium international to to have surgery on his right leg in order to remove a plate.
He will now miss Real’s Champions League quarter-final first leg tie against his former side at Stamford Bridge on April 6.
In 2016 it was revealed Hazard was the most fouled player in the Premier League.
A year beforehand, while Mourinho worked with the winger, the Special One warned the forward’s career could be cut short due to constant fouls.
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He said: “People [are] in love with football in this country – people must be in love with Eden Hazard.
“The way, match after match, he’s being punished by opponents and he’s not being protected by referees, maybe one day we won’t have Eden Hazard.
“It’s one, two, three, four, five, ten aggressive fouls against him.
“They kick and kick and kick, and the kid resists.
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“He’s a very honest guy in the way he plays, but that’s another problem.”
Incredibly, Hazard has had the same amount of injuries as he has goal contributions for the Spanish side.
His problems have limited the ex-Lille maestro to just 65 matches in all competitions, where he has scored six goals and provided ten assists.
Hazard, who has lost his place in the Real team to the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, is without a LaLiga goal from his 17 outings this term.
His future at Real is in question with it claimed that the club are looking to offload him on loan in the summer to get him off their wage bill.