Pep Guardiola: 'Something's Going On' at Real Madrid If Eden Hazard's Struggling

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said Eden Hazard needs time to adjust to his new surroundings at Real Madrid. 

In an interview with YouTuber DjMaRiiO (h/t AS), he praised the Belgian but acknowledged he is yet to shine at the Santiago Bernabeu:

"If he's not playing well, something's going on at Madrid because he is really good. Not a top player, another level above. What we saw in England...he is world-class. The whole world knows that you need a period of adaptation."

Hazard has been out of action in Madrid since he suffered a microfracture in his ankle in Real's 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Paris Saint-Germain in November.

He could be on the verge of returning, though:

"

Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale both training with their Real Madrid team mates ahead of the Copa game with Real Sociedad tomorrow. Carvajal, Casemiro, Lucas V too. pic.twitter.com/tLU5cPgmBK

— Alex Kirkland (@alexkirkland) February 5, 2020"

Prior to his injury, the winger had made 13 appearances, returning one goal and four assists.

The 29-year-old took time to get up to speed following his move from Chelsea in the summer, not helped by a hamstring injury that disrupted his pre-season and kept him out of the first three matches of the campaign.

His form had been improving significantly prior to his ankle injury in November:

Given Real spent an initial €100 million (£89 million) on him in the summer⁠—and will potentially have to pay more than half that again in add-ons⁠—and his arrival is in part to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in their front three, they'll want more decisive contributions from him when he returns.

However, Hazard's impact on the team's attacking play often goes beyond raw numbers:

Despite his struggles and subsequent injury, Real have still enjoyed a strong campaign and find themselves three points ahead of Barcelona in La Liga after 22 games.

They'll face Real Sociedad in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday, and in the Champions League they've drawn Guardiola's Manchester City in the last 16.

Hazard will likely need time to get back to where he was prior to his injury after such a lengthy lay-off, but if he can hit top form in the remaining months of the season he can take a team that's already performing well to new heights.