Eden Hazard's ankle injury a hindrance but likely assures he stays at Chelsea
LONDON
-- More than two months away from the start of the new Premier League
season, Chelsea's title defence has encountered its first complication
with the news that Eden Hazard has broken his ankle.
The Belgian underwent surgery in London on Monday and faces a rehabilitation period of up to three months, meaning he will almost certainly miss the entirety of Chelsea's preseason and, at the very least, is highly unlikely to be in prime shape for the start of the new competitive campaign.
Given the emphasis that Antonio Conte places on physical conditioning, this is no small setback. His first act as head coach last July was to take his squad for a week-long training camp in Austria, where they were exposed to a gruelling programme of double training sessions and extensive tactical preparation between three friendly matches before heading off to the United States to participate in the International Champions Cup.
By the time Conte made his Premier League managerial debut in mid-August 2016 his players were physically ready to re-establish their title pedigree on the pitch, even if it took the Italian a little longer to implement the 3-4-3 system that ultimately made Chelsea champions again.
This injury means Hazard will not be able to approach the 2017-18 campaign with the physical foundation that underpinned his impressive revival this season, enabling him to register 16 goals (his best tally in a Chelsea shirt) and five assists in 36 Premier League appearances.
Instead, Conte will be forced to balance the immediate need to start strong in the Premier League with the longer-term priority of easing his best player back to full fitness, in the knowledge that Chelsea's decisive contributions may need to come from elsewhere in the early weeks.
But while Hazard's injury complicates the start of Chelsea's title defence (we will get a better idea of just how costly his absence could be when the Premier League fixtures are published on June 14), it arguably simplifies what is already shaping up to be a tricky summer at Stamford Bridge.
For starters, the persistent speculation linking Hazard with a move to Real Madrid should now be put to rest for the foreseeable future.
Nothing the Belgian has said in recent weeks suggests he is in a rush to leave Chelsea, who have no desire to sell at any price. And while Madrid's "Galactico" transfer policy has never been based on need, it is harder for Florentino Perez to justify big changes to a squad that, as of Saturday, has won three Champions League trophies in the last four seasons.
Hazard himself has admitted that he could easily find himself on the substitutes' bench if he were to join Madrid now, and this injury should cement the thinking on all sides that even if a move to the Spanish capital is in the 26-year-old's future, this is not the time.
More crucially, kicking the Hazard to Madrid speculation down the road enables Chelsea to focus all their attentions on the other key decisions they face this summer -- and there are a few to navigate.
After months in which the widespread assumption at Stamford Bridge was that Diego Costa was bound for China, the signs now tentatively point towards the Spanish international staying at Chelsea for another season.
With just two years left on his current contract, however, the Blues know they must commit their star striker to a long-term extension sooner rather than later if they want to preserve his value. The same goes for Thibaut Courtois, also set to be a free agent in June 2019.
Regardless of whether Costa stays or goes, Chelsea must also decide how high to go in their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku, reportedly valued at £100 million by Everton and the subject of interest from Manchester United. Failure to negotiate a buy-back clause in the £28m deal that took him to Goodison Park in the summer of 2014 now looks a costly oversight.
Hazard's absence could heighten the desire for another wide attacker to supplement Willian and Pedro, while there is also an acknowledgement that another dynamic central midfielder is required. Monaco powerhouse Tiemoue Bakayoko the top target.
Conte has repeatedly stressed the need for more quality squad options ahead of a return to the Champions League, and Chelsea are keen to back him after failing to secure any of his preferred targets last summer. The squad is not yet fully geared to play 3-4-3, with a lack of defensive depth and wing-back cover particular areas of focus.
A backup goalkeeper must be found to replace Bournemouth-bound Asmir Begovic, and judgements must be made on each of Chelsea's 40-odd loanees. Andreas Christensen will be given a first-team chance after proving himself in two years with Borussia Monchengladbach, but most will be found new temporary homes.
These issues will keep Marina Granovskaia, Michael Emenalo and Conte busy well into August, but things should become much more manageable when not conducted amid the backdrop of a public and relentless Madrid charm offensive on Chelsea's best player -- even if the price to be paid is Hazard not hitting his stride until the new season is well under way.
The Belgian underwent surgery in London on Monday and faces a rehabilitation period of up to three months, meaning he will almost certainly miss the entirety of Chelsea's preseason and, at the very least, is highly unlikely to be in prime shape for the start of the new competitive campaign.
Given the emphasis that Antonio Conte places on physical conditioning, this is no small setback. His first act as head coach last July was to take his squad for a week-long training camp in Austria, where they were exposed to a gruelling programme of double training sessions and extensive tactical preparation between three friendly matches before heading off to the United States to participate in the International Champions Cup.
By the time Conte made his Premier League managerial debut in mid-August 2016 his players were physically ready to re-establish their title pedigree on the pitch, even if it took the Italian a little longer to implement the 3-4-3 system that ultimately made Chelsea champions again.
This injury means Hazard will not be able to approach the 2017-18 campaign with the physical foundation that underpinned his impressive revival this season, enabling him to register 16 goals (his best tally in a Chelsea shirt) and five assists in 36 Premier League appearances.
Instead, Conte will be forced to balance the immediate need to start strong in the Premier League with the longer-term priority of easing his best player back to full fitness, in the knowledge that Chelsea's decisive contributions may need to come from elsewhere in the early weeks.
But while Hazard's injury complicates the start of Chelsea's title defence (we will get a better idea of just how costly his absence could be when the Premier League fixtures are published on June 14), it arguably simplifies what is already shaping up to be a tricky summer at Stamford Bridge.
For starters, the persistent speculation linking Hazard with a move to Real Madrid should now be put to rest for the foreseeable future.
Nothing the Belgian has said in recent weeks suggests he is in a rush to leave Chelsea, who have no desire to sell at any price. And while Madrid's "Galactico" transfer policy has never been based on need, it is harder for Florentino Perez to justify big changes to a squad that, as of Saturday, has won three Champions League trophies in the last four seasons.
Hazard himself has admitted that he could easily find himself on the substitutes' bench if he were to join Madrid now, and this injury should cement the thinking on all sides that even if a move to the Spanish capital is in the 26-year-old's future, this is not the time.
More crucially, kicking the Hazard to Madrid speculation down the road enables Chelsea to focus all their attentions on the other key decisions they face this summer -- and there are a few to navigate.
After months in which the widespread assumption at Stamford Bridge was that Diego Costa was bound for China, the signs now tentatively point towards the Spanish international staying at Chelsea for another season.
With just two years left on his current contract, however, the Blues know they must commit their star striker to a long-term extension sooner rather than later if they want to preserve his value. The same goes for Thibaut Courtois, also set to be a free agent in June 2019.
Regardless of whether Costa stays or goes, Chelsea must also decide how high to go in their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku, reportedly valued at £100 million by Everton and the subject of interest from Manchester United. Failure to negotiate a buy-back clause in the £28m deal that took him to Goodison Park in the summer of 2014 now looks a costly oversight.
Hazard's absence could heighten the desire for another wide attacker to supplement Willian and Pedro, while there is also an acknowledgement that another dynamic central midfielder is required. Monaco powerhouse Tiemoue Bakayoko the top target.
Conte has repeatedly stressed the need for more quality squad options ahead of a return to the Champions League, and Chelsea are keen to back him after failing to secure any of his preferred targets last summer. The squad is not yet fully geared to play 3-4-3, with a lack of defensive depth and wing-back cover particular areas of focus.
A backup goalkeeper must be found to replace Bournemouth-bound Asmir Begovic, and judgements must be made on each of Chelsea's 40-odd loanees. Andreas Christensen will be given a first-team chance after proving himself in two years with Borussia Monchengladbach, but most will be found new temporary homes.
These issues will keep Marina Granovskaia, Michael Emenalo and Conte busy well into August, but things should become much more manageable when not conducted amid the backdrop of a public and relentless Madrid charm offensive on Chelsea's best player -- even if the price to be paid is Hazard not hitting his stride until the new season is well under way.
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ReplyDeleteWould you like to play cards?
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See you soon...
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