Eden Hazard: Chelsea fear Belgian could miss Champions League semi-finals as well as crucial visit to Liverpool
Hazard limped off during Chelsea's 2-0 win over PSG with a calf injury
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea could be without influential winger Eden Hazard for their Champions League semi-final as well as the Premier League trip to Liverpool after limping out of Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Paris St-Germain with a calf injury.
Need to overturn a 3-1 defeat last week in Paris, Chelsea looked sluggish to start with as PSG controlled the opening exchanges, with Hazard looking severely off the pace.
But the sight of Andre Schurrle warming-up on the sidelines soon sparked fears that Hazard had picked up an early injury, and he hobbled off in the 18th minute of the memorable night at Stamford Bridge.
While Schurrle sparked the comeback with the Blues’ opening goal, Hazard headed off down the tunnel – and not before a consolatory handshake from PSG manager Laurent Blanc to strengthen rumours the Parisian’s will make a big-money offer in the summer for the Belgian.
After the match, Jose Moruinho confirmed that Hazard had suffered a “muscular” injury that will take “weeks” to heal, with the initial prognoses that he could be out for two-three weeks putting his availability for the Blues’ three biggest games of the season so far in jeopardy.
Chelsea will find out their semi-final opponent in Friday’s draw, with the first leg set to take place on the 22/23 April. Chelsea are then scheduled to travel to Anfield on the following Sunday for a game they must win if they are to overhaul the Merseyside club in the Premier league, with Manchester City also well in contention for a run to the title.
Depending on the Friday’s draw, that match could be subject to change, given that the Champions League semi-final second leg follow on Tuesday or Wednesday that week, meaning the Blues could be left with a days’ rest in-between the Anfield fixture and the second leg.
Hazard will have two weeks exactly to recover for the first leg of the last-four tie, although he could take heart from Samuel Eto’o’s early return, with the striker playing the entire game despite Mourinho admitting that he was not 100% recovered from a hamstring injury.
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