Zidane: Hazard isn't stressed, he's very strong

Real Madrid believed they had turned the corner with Eden Hazard's fitness, especially as he was beginning to contribute to the team, yet with the Belgian facing another spell on the sidelines with a fitness problem, Zinedine Zidane has reassured fans that the forward isn't stressed and is very strong mentally.

Repeated injuries do take their psychological toll on a player, especially when they finally got their dream move to Real Madrid, only to be unable to contribute or even settle into the team due to repeated ailments.

This has certainly been the case for the former Lille prodigy, and the French coach will now be forced to tinker with his team selection, although back-to-back victories over Inter have left Los Blancos on the verge of progressing through to the knockout phase.

"Is he stressed? No, he's very strong mentally," Zidane confirmed in Monday's pre-match press-conference.

"Hazard has been screwed by bad luck, but injuries are occurring at every single club.

"He's strong, I have no doubts about Hazard and the player that he is, I hope he will soon be back with us."

Real Madrid did suffer another disappointing domestic defeat, with a 2-1 defeat at home to Deportivo Alaves making it three successive LaLiga Santander matches without a victory, yet Zidane has no concerns about either his own hunger or that of his players.

"I feel the same hunger, but we have had strange things happen to us," Zidane added.

"There are injuries, we didn't have a proper pre-season, but that same desire is never lost.

"That never happens at this club, the players appreciate where they are and what it means to play for Real Madrid, we always have desire, whenever we play a bad game I never believe it to be a matter of desire."

After a winless start to the competition, rescued by a last-gasp equaliser away to Borussia Monchengladbach, Los Merengues are in the driving seat with regards to their own fortune in the group, and Zidane is eager to ignore all distractions and simply get the job done against Shakhtar Donetsk.

"We're lacking consistency at this moment, but at Real Madrid there have always been challenging moments," Zidane confirmed. "We always overcome them.

"This is the most important game in the group because with three points we can make ourselves go into the next phase."