Any big club looks closely at the physical history of its signings, but Real Madrid even more so. His two operations above the psychological and symbolic figure of one hundred million, both Bale (€101M) and Hazard (€100M plus €40M in variables per objective), have ended in varying degrees of fiasco due to injuries.
The history of signings that alerted Madrid begins with Gaby Milito, in 2003, a contract that was pushed back when it was already closed and announced. In the medical examination, two problems were detected: first, a wear on his right knee (in 2001, he suffered a torn cruciate ligament and underwent surgery); and second, a mild cardiac arrhythmia.
The bad luck continued the following year with Woodgate. He landed at the Bernabéu in August 2004 in exchange for 22 million with a muscle injury in tow. What seemed like a minor problem dragged on; he missed the entire 2004-05 season. The following year, the muscular misfortunes returned (he suffered four) until in April 2006 it was discovered that his problems lay in a chronic back injury that made him prone to breakage. He was out for 452 days, only playing 14 games before being sold for just €10M.
Bale is the most symptomatic case: 31 injuries in Madrid, especially in soleus and knees. Only during the time he has been in the squad, the balance of games out has been 123. Hazard and especially his battered ankle, crushed by that kick from Menier, but which had already undergone surgery with a plate included, is a similar situation. In his case, the Belgian is 57 games lost.