Liverpool icon Steve McManaman believes Chelsea do not need Eden Hazard in their team
Speaking to Horseracing.net (h/t Football.London), Steve McManaman has said that Chelsea do not need to bring back Eden Hazard. The former Blues fan-favourite has been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian winger left the club for Real Madrid in a move that saw Real pay €100million. However, Hazard has been plagued with injuries in his time at Madrid. As a result, his time with the Los Blancos has been largely disappointing.
The Belgian is currently out with a hamstring injury he suffered in the semi-final against France. He will be missing the El-Clasico against Barcelona for this reason.
And according to McManaman, Hazard wouldn’t even be a sure-shot start for Thomas Tuchel’s side right now.
“He wouldn’t even be guaranteed a place in Chelsea’s current starting eleven. He’s a couple of years older than when he left Chelsea and his form has dipped.”
The Liverpool icon and BT Sport pundit also points out the 30-year-old’s injury woes while mentioning the available options. The points he makes have substance to them as a return is not essential for the club.
“I wouldn’t have thought he’d be the type of player Chelsea would be going for now. They’ve got Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and now Romelu Lukaku. They don’t need him.”
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While the forward’s time at Chelsea was spectacular, the club’s best interests should always be above everything. However, if the club believes they can “change” Hazard’s fitness back to how it was at Chelsea, they could try for a return. But, it should not hamper the club and the risks should be reduced as much as possible.