Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard needs time and 'patience', insists Blues boss Antonio Conte after first-team return

  • Eden Hazard suffered a fractured ankle during Belgium training in June
  • The 26-year-old appeared as a substitute in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Leicester City
  • Goals from Alvaro Morata and N'Golo Kante helped the blues to their third win
  • Manager Antonio Conte has insisted the Belgian needs time to regain full fitness 

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has welcomed the return of Eden Hazard but insists the midfielder needs time to get back to full fitness.

Hazard underwent ankle surgery during the summer and made his first club appearance of the season as a late substitute against Leicester, having featured from the bench in both of Belgium's recent World Cup qualifying matches.


The 26-year-old played the final 12 minutes of Saturday's 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium.

Eden Hazard has been given time and 'patience' by manager Antonio Conte after making his return to first-team football as a substitute in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Leicester on Saturday
The 26-year-old appeared in the final 12 minutes as a substitute

Eden Hazard has been given time and 'patience' by manager Antonio Conte after making his return to first-team football as a substitute in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Leicester on Saturday 

Conte insists his return is important in his side's bid to retain their Premier League crown 

Conte insists his return is important in his side's bid to retain their Premier League crown 

Season at a glance

  • Premier League
  • Premier League
  • Championship
  • League One
  • League Two
  • Scottish Premiership
  • Scottish Div 1
  • Scottish Div 2
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  • Ligue 1
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'This is good news for us,' said Conte after his side's third straight Premier League victory.

'For sure he needs time to be 100 per cent but for us his recovery is very important.'

Chelsea are in action again on Tuesday night at home to Qarabag and Hazard could get another run-out in the Champions League group game.

'We all know very well the importance of (Hazard) for us,' Conte added.

'Now we must have patience to give him the possibility to improve his form, but I am pleased for him because after a bad injury it's great to see him with us,' said Conte.

Leicester have had a tough start to the season having kicked off the campaign at Arsenal, with the Foxes playing Manchester United and Chelsea either side of the international break. They face newly-promoted Huddersfield next weekend and then Liverpool.

'We said the first six games would be a challenge,' said Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare.

'But we go again and have to dust ourselves down. We have a very important game against Huddersfield next week.

'Of course we have to stay positive as a group because we knew that the first six games were going to be difficult, playing the top four in that and the reigning champions in Chelsea.

'But in terms of the effort and commitment of the players so far I am very happy.'

New boys Davide Zappacosta, Antonio Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko also featured in the win

New boys Davide Zappacosta, Antonio Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko also featured in the win

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