Eden Hazard asked to be rested for Chelsea’s Europa League clash with PAOK on Thursday after complaining of tiredness, Maurizio Sarri has revealed.
The 27-year-old has not travelled to Greece with the squad after telling his boss he felt fatigued following his hat-trick against Cardiff on Saturday.
Sarri granted him the game off, leaving Hazard at home while Chelsea kick off their European campaign at the hostile Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki.
‘He told me that after the national team and after the match against Cardiff he was a little bit tired,’ Sarri confirmed. ‘I thought it was better to stay in Cobham, to have training and to rest.’
David Luiz has also been rested. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has travelled, though the frustrated England midfielder was last night offered no guarantees of game time by Sarri.
World Cup star Loftus-Cheek has featured for a total of 33 minutes for Chelsea this season.
When asked if he will start against PAOK, Sarri said: ‘Loftus-Cheek, for me, is a very good player but I don't know if there is a spot for him.
‘Now it is very difficult because in the first part of the season it is very important to play with possibly the same players, just to have a very solid team.
‘Unfortunately we have to play with 11 players and I have 28, so 17 players will not agree with me, so I don't know.’
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