Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that winger Eden Hazard is "ready" to make a return to action, just over a week ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final first-leg against Chelsea.
Madrid joined Chelsea in the last-four of European club football's most coveted competition on Wednesday evening, playing out a goalless draw with Liverpool at Anfield in the second-leg of their quarter-final showdown to progress to the semi-finals.
Chelsea had booked their place in the semi-finals just 24 hours earlier, despite losing 1-0 to FC Porto in the second-leg of their respective quarter-final.
Now, the two sides will go head-to-head for a place in the final against either Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.
Although the first-leg of their semi-final showdown is more than a week away, Zidane has issued an update on the fitness of winger Hazard. The Belgian international, who left Chelsea to join the Spanish giants in the summer of 2019, has been plagued by injury issues this season and has not played since mid-March.
However, he now looks set to make a return ahead of next week's huge tussle, meaning he will get the opportunity to go up against his former club unless he suffers any further setbacks.
"He is feeling very better and he is ready," said Zidane, as quoted by the Metro. "He wants to be back more than anyone else.
"We have been more cautious with [Dani] Carvajal and Hazard, because they are relapses. They are both better and that is good for the team."
Should Hazard suffer no further injury woes between now and a-week-on-Tuesday, it would see the former Lille star achieve his dream of getting the chance to test himself against his former club. After leaving Stamford Bridge, the Belgian admitted that he would love to get the opportunity to go up against his former club in the Champions League.
Hazard, speaking in 2019 after leaving the Blues, said: "Chelsea and especially Chelsea fans will always be special to me and next season I will look for your results first.
"I hope that we are drawn against each other in the Champions League and every season so we can meet again."
