Hazard's woes leave Real Madrid nostalgic for age of Galacticos

MADRID: "I'll try," said Eden Hazard when asked in his first press conference at Real Madrid if he could now become the best player in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were the immovable duo but still, the suggestion was not that Hazard settle for third, a position he had already come to hover around following seven brilliant years for Chelsea.

Hazard had been the Premier League's oustanding attacking talent and at Real Madrid, where the demands would be higher and the supporting cast more prestigious, it was not out of the question there could be more to come.

He could replace Ronaldo, fill Madrid's creativity gap, launch a new era and perhaps even win the Ballon d'Or. "If everything goes well, why not?" said Hazard. "It's in my head but I'm not thinking of it every day."

Almost two years later, Hazard counts it as a blessing to make it through a single match without another muscle creaking let alone an entire season worthy of international acclaim.

Real Madrid face Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday and it would be a huge surprise if he were to start against his former team.

Hazard came off the bench against Real Betis on Saturday to play his first 15 minutes in almost three months.

"He played with spark, with energy," said Zidane. "We're going to need him."

When asked about the merits of Real Madrid's 'Galactico' signings such as Hazard, the club's president Florentino Perez said they are as much a projection of power as a way of bringing in a better striker or right-back.

"It creates a very special type of glamour," said Perez. "It lets the whole world know you have a world-class player in every position."