Hazard set for World Cup showdown with Martinez after nightclub appearance

Eden Hazard will hold talks with Belgium boss Roberto Martinez after footage of him attending a nightclub ahead of a recent international match went viral.

The Real Madrid outcast is already struggling for form and fitness going into this winter's World Cup, having fallen completely out of favour at The Bernabeu. But he remains a key part of the Red Devils side finally looking to deliver with their so-called 'Golden Generation'.

However, Hazard is set for 'internal discussions' with Martinez following his less-than-ideal preparation for the Nations League clash with Netherlands last month.

Two days ahead of the game Hazard was spotted in a nightclub parting with friends, before captaining his nation to a 1-0 defeat. And while Martinez insisted he was given freedom to relax, he wouldn't want the incident to repeat itself and talks were planned.

"We trust our players, and he was allowed to spend time with his family. or with his friends," he told RTBF. "There is a very clear story behind this, but I am not going to talk about it in public, it will be handled internally. I would not like to see this repeated, but there are reasons for this story."

The 31-year-old, who has failed to ever find his form with Real, was expected to play a more prominent role this season, after the club's failed pursuit of Kylian Mbappe. But in the opening months of the season, he has played just 158 minutes in all competitions, with his route to more regular minutes unclear.

Martinez is adamant that the forward is still a key component of the squad ahead of their opener vs Canada on November 23. However, worryingly he questioned whether he has the fitness levels to be able to contribute throughout a deep run in the tournament.

"Eden Hazard is still a very important player for the national team, that's 100% sure," the Spaniard added. "In my opinion, one of the best in the world. Still up to date.

"But now we have to wonder if he can still play 90 minutes, or seven matches in a very short period of time. It's very different, and his situation can change enormously over the next five weeks.

"Everyone is aware of his situation: Eden has not chained matches for a very long time, and that has consequences. We will take stock of his situation as the World Cup approaches, and we will see what role we can give him."

Hazard himself has admitted his place in the Real Madrid pecking order has created a "delicate situation" just weeks away from the start of what could be his final World Cup. He said: "There have been difficult times because I want to play and I don't play.

"I feel good at Real Madrid, I just play less. And when I play, I play well. It's a delicate situation because I want to play more. I know what I can do when I play. I I want to play the maximum number of minutes and get to the World Cup in shape."

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