Eden Hazard furious to be missing UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Liverpool
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard was reportedly left fuming after the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal draw pitted his side against Liverpool.
The Belgium international was said to be eager to play against Liverpool this season - a side he knows well from his time at Chelsea.
According to Defensa Central, Hazard earmarked the tie as an opportunity for him to prove his critics wrong, after a horrendous two-year spell since joining Real Madrid, which has been ravaged by injuries.
Eden Hazard continues to be out injured, with his troublesome ankle flaring up once again. The latest ankle injury means that Hazard's season is under threat, and he could also miss the summer's European Championships for Belgium.
Eden Hazard wanted to quiet critics with match-winning big-game performance
The report states that the draw has left Eden Hazard angry as he was looking forward to a game-changing performance on a big occasion. Hazard has generally played well against Liverpool and did score a few times against the Reds during his stint with Chelsea.
Real Madrid have struggled this season, in relative terms, as their La Liga title defence looks set to end unsuccessfully. They went into the weekend six points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid and two behind Barcelona.
In the group stage of the UEFA Champions League earlier this season, Real Madrid had to wait until the last match to confirm their spot in the knockout stages. They also struggled through the group stages after being drawn against Borussia Monchengladbach, Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan.
They beat Atalanta 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 to make it to the quarterfinals, where they will face Liverpool. If Real win that tie, they will face either Porto or Chelsea in the semifinal.
For Eden Hazard, his season seems to be over for now, but there were recent question marks raised over his ability to even play professional football again.
Dr. Jose Gonzalez, who works for Atletico Madrid, warned that another ankle operation could potentially result in Hazard's career ending abruptly.
Dr. Gonzalez told Ondacero:
"A third operation on Eden Hazard's ankle is very risky, there could be the possibility that the player would not play football again."
"Without an operation, Hazard will be able to train again in a month's time but not to play. From my experience, it is difficult to see Hazard play for Madrid again this season," claimed Dr. Gonzalez.