Antonio Conte has insisted that Eden Hazard is well set for Wednesday’s Champions League crunch tie with Atletico – but stopped short of saying he was ready to start.
“I think now Eden is improving a lot and for sure he’s in contention for Atletico Madrid,” Conte is quoted as saying on Eurosport.
“After a bad injury and surgery you need time. He’s almost ready to play but if I make this decision it will be because I’m comfortable with it,” the Chelsea coach added.
It’s always hard to read Conte in these situations, and he always seems to fool the media with his innocent gaze, and he cleverly uses his imperfect English to dodge questions. His cautious returning of Hazard to the first team has also caught people out, with the Belgian starting against Forest last midweek then dropping back to the bench for the weekend.
If he’s been built up for anything over the past few weeks, surely it has been for this game. This is Conte’s first big Champions League test at Chelsea, and with the points in the league ticking over nicely there’s no reason to hold back – even with Man City on the horizon at the weekend.
Chelsea will need Hazard if they want to get anything out of Wednesday night’s game, but Conte won’t tip his hand that easily.
