Chelsea exit ‘out of the question’ for Hazard

Ian Watson

Eden Hazard leaving Chelsea this summer is “out of the question”, according to his father, who says the Blues are making the star play on through injury.

The Belgian has struggled for form all season, having failed to find the net in the Premier League so far. Chelsea supporters booed off the reigning Player of the Year when he was substituted with an injury during the Champions League defeat to PSG, but Hazard’s father, Thierry, insists his poor performances are due to a persistent hip problem which he sustained during the defeat to Leicester in December – Jose Mourinho’s final match in charge.

“Eden’s lack of form is due to an injury, an inflammation in the hip, that he’s been carrying now for three or four months,” he told Belgian newspaper Le Soir.

“It’s not a bad injury, but when the pain appears, it feels like a stabbing. It’s feels like a knife is stabbed in it.

“He was feeling the pain early in the game [versus Leicester] and that’s why he has asked for a substitution. Instead of giving Eden a time to overcome the injury and have a proper rest, they push him to play because they have some important games. So he has no choice.

“Which player hasn’t had highs of lows in his career? It’s the first time in his professional career that he’s confronted with a difficult period. He’s not machine, as we know.”

There has been talk of Hazard leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid most heavily linked. The 25-year-old last month told Le Parisien of his admiration for PSG, fuelling speculation of a move to the French capital, but Hazard Snr has refuted such talk.

“Eden has never said he wanted to play for PSG.

“He’s just confirmed that PSG have become a big club and that every player would like to play for clubs of that level.

“Eden has a contract until 2020. It’s out of question that he’ll leave the club at the moment.”