Many expected Eden Hazard to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo, lifting Real Madrid to the new heights, on the quest to end Barcelona domination once and for all, led by Lionel Messi.
Yet, he only scored one and assisted one since joining from Chelsea in the summer.
The Belgian sustained a thigh injury in pre-season and had to wait until September to make his official debut for his new club.
In the time when the club needed him the most however, he suffered an ankle injury and was forced off in the 68th minute during Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw against PSG in the Champions League fixture last week.
It was initially thought to be minor, but Real Madrid stated that his recovery has been far slower than originally anticipated, and Hazard is set to miss between four to six weeks of action, which rules him out El Clasico on December 18.
We can say Hazard has been unlucky with injuries since his arrival, but Zinedine Zidane should have realized by now how he doesn’t need Hazard who is not at his best.
Rather, he only need his best performing player: Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman is the LaLiga top scorer at the moment, scoring 10 goals, one goal more than Lionel Messi.
Benzema also assisted four goals; sharing the same tally with Dani Carvajal and Luka Modric.
They are probably the reason why Real Madrid is still in the title race, despite erratic results early in the season.
Benzema might even surprise Barcelona during El Clasico, but whether they can win at Nou Camp remain to be seen.
It may ended up as a one-sided affair, but it could also be an upsetting one.