Carlo Ancelotti: 'Eden Hazard can be important for Real Madrid this season'

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that Eden Hazard can play an important role for the team in the second half of the 2022-23 campaign.

The 31-year-old has again found it difficult to make his mark this term, contributing just one goal and one assist in six appearances in all competitions.

Hazard has only played 98 minutes of La Liga football this season across three matches, while he has not featured in Spain's top flight since September 11.

However, Ancelotti has claimed that the attacker is in better shape than he was ahead of the World Cup, and the Italian is tipping him to contribute in the second half of the season.

"Hazard has been training well and I think he's doing better now than he was before the World Cup," Ancelotti told reporters during his press conference ahead of the clash with Real Valladolid.

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"With all the matches we have coming up, we'll need to use the whole squad and Hazard will be one of those players who'll play more in the second half of the season."

Hazard found it difficult to make his mark for Belgium at the 2022 World Cup, failing to provide a goal or an assist in three appearances in the group stage of the competition.

There remains widespread speculation surrounding Hazard's future in the Spanish capital, but he has a contract at Bernabeu until June 2024 and is not believed to be considering an exit.

The Belgian made the move to Real Madrid from Chelsea in July 2019, and he has represented the club on 72 occasions in all competitions, contributing seven goals and 11 assists in the process.

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Real Madrid currently only have one injury absentee, with Mariano Diaz on the sidelines with an ankle problem.

However, Ancelotti's side have a busy schedule in the early stages of 2023, facing Cacereno in the Copa del Rey on January 3 before taking on Valencia in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup on January 10.

Los Blancos were last in action on November 10 against Cadiz, recording a 2-1 victory over the Yellow Submarine, which left them second in the La Liga table behind Barcelona.

A victory for Real Madrid against Real Valladolid on Friday evening would move them to the top of the division, as Barcelona are not in action until Saturday against Espanyol.

Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga were all expected to be left against Real Valladolid due to their involvement in the latter stages of the World Cup, but the trio have been named in the squad.