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Report: Chelsea board ‘unimpressed’ at Hazard Europa League exclusion

Members of Chelsea’s hierarchy have reportedly been left unimpressed by Maurizio Sarri’s decision to start Eden Hazard on the bench for their Europa League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Belgian was excluded from the starting lineup for Thursday nights Europa League semi-final first leg in Germany, with Maurizio Sarri saying that he was trying to protect his star player from fatigue at the end of a gruelling campaign.

The Blues fourth place position in the Premier League and their continued involvement in Europe mean that they still have two opportunities to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, with a maximum of four games left to play.

However, the Italian has consistently chosen to rotate his side and for their Europa League campaign, but according to The Times, his decision to rest Hazard earlier this week has left Blues bosses ‘unimpressed’.

The report claims that Chelsea executives are ‘baffled and unimpressed’ by Hazard’s omission, with the expectation being that their star player would play in all of their remaining games to boost their hopes of Champions League football one way or another.

Hazard has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, with many onlookers believing that this summer will finally be when he makes the move to the Spanish capital in a deal expected to be worth around £100m.

While Chelsea are reluctant to lose their talisman, they are thought to be prepared to reluctantly sanction a big money move as opposed to losing him for free next year.

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