Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane admits Eden Hazard won't be seen until next month.
Just as he was seemingly nearing full fitness at the end of September, a muscle problem sustained the day before he was due to return saw the Belgian miss out as Zinedine Zidane's men squeaked past Real Valladolid 1-0, reports the Daily Mail.
However, Hazard was also sidelined for the subsequent win over Levante and the shock defeat by Cadiz at the weekend.
Zidane has admitted that the injury is "more than we thought" and the attacking midfielder won't play in the first El Clasico of the season on Saturday at the Nou Camp or any of the team's first three Champions League group games.
The 29-year-old suffered a succession of injuries which wrecked his opening campaign at the Bernabeu, with an ankle issue, a hairline crack in his foot and a fractured fibula limiting him to just 16 league appearances in 2019-20.