London, Apr 5 (IANS): Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he will wait until Eden Hazard is fully fit to return to action.

Zidane hinted over the weekend that Hazard could be fit to face Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday night, having not played since March 13 due to a hip injury, but the forward was not in the squad released by Madrid on Monday, reports DPA.

"The most important thing for him is to be calm on his return," Zidane said. "The important thing for us is for him to be fully recovered. With the players, we never let them come back if the player is not ready. Of course we want him with the team. Now we will do things little by little and we will see when he is back."

The match will be the first meeting between Madrid and Liverpool since Zidane's side beat Jurgen Klopp's men in the 2018 Champions League final. "We don't think about the past," Zidane said.

"The past is the past. The important thing is now and the match tomorrow."

Asked about Liverpool's defensive injuries, Zidane --- who will be without captain Sergio Ramos for the match --- said: "I don't know if it's a weakness, because there are other players that can cover. We also have injuries, but the strength is in the team."