Chelsea's Eden Hazard likely to miss start of Premier League season with ankle fracture

Courtesy Reuters

London: Belgium midfielder Eden Hazard sustained an ankle fracture in training and will miss this week's international matches, the Belgian Football Association confirmed on Sunday.

Hazard, who scored 16 goals and provided five assists to help Chelsea win the Premier League, is ruled out of his country's friendly against Czech Republic on Monday and a World Cup qualifier against Estonia on June 9.

"Eden Hazard will miss both games with Belgium this week due to an ankle injury which he suffered during this afternoon's training session," Belgium team media officer Stefan Van Loock said in a statement.

"Medical imaging showed that the injury... is an ankle fracture (right ankle)," he added without giving a timeline for the 26-year-old's recovery.

Belgium have won four of five 2018 World Cup qualifying matches to lead UEFA Group H on 13 points, two points ahead of second-placed Greece.