Antonio Conte explains why he took Eden Hazard off in Chelsea v Arsenal
Antonio Conte delivers an update on Eden Hazard after the Belgian was substituted for Chelsea against Arsenal
Antonio Conte has insisted that his decision to bring Eden Hazard off in Chelsea’s League Cup clash with Arsenal on Wednesday night was purely tactical.
The Belgian playmaker had started the game and had earned plenty of praise for his strong display against the north London side in the first leg of the semi-final clash at Stamford Bridge.
However, Conte opted to bring the Belgian off in the 84th minute of the game, despite Chelsea still searching for a winner in front of their home fans.
The move was something of a surprise, given that the 27-year-old is one of Chelsea’s top talents, and it prompted fears that Hazard could have picked up an injury.
However, Conte said after the game that Hazard did not have an injury problem and that he was purely making a tactical choice.
Asked if Hazard was OK after he was brought off, Conte told Sky Sports: “Yes [he is OK]. It was a technical substitution.”
Chelsea now switch their attentions back towards Premier League affairs and their home clash against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.
The west London side are currently in third place in the Premier League table as they chase Champions League qualification and bid to get as close to Manchester City in the table as possible.
