Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has revealed how Eden Hazard reacted to being dropped on the bench in the 1-1 draw with Bundesliga side, Eintrach Frankfurt on Thursday.
Chelsea drew 1-1 with Frankfurt in first leg of their Europa League semi final.
Sarri insisted that Hazard was ‘joking as usual’ after being told that he would be on the bench.
The 28-year-old was a surprise omission from Chelsea’s starting XI for the game at the Commerzbank Arena.
He came on in the second half to replace Willian.
Sarri had explained that he left the Belgian on the bench due to having played ten matches in a row.
The Italian revealed Hazard was his usual happy self for his team.
“[I told him] In the meeting before the match. Like all the others,” Sarri said.
“Usually, I don’t speak with the players that I want to put on the bench. Eden, for me, is a player,” Sarri told BT Sport.
“Probably he is the best player, but he is a player. And so I have to do it otherwise I have to speak to everyone for every match, and I don’t have the time.
“[He reacted] In the normal way. He was in the dressing room joking as usual, as normal. But he knows the truth very well.
“He knows very well that sometimes he has to rest. For a player that has to play 70 matches in a season, it’s normal. A normal reaction.”
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