Eden Hazard’s injury is a chance for Chelsea to build resilience

Chelsea will be without Eden Hazard for at least the next match if not more. This is the team’s chance to build resilience without him.

Eden Hazard is used to being roughed up. Plenty of teams make it their sole strategy for stopping him. And given that the refs refuse to do their job and protect the players, Hazard was bound to get hurt eventually.

That finally happened against Manchester United. The winger faced nasty challenge after nasty challenge as Mike Dean counted blades of grass. Hazard had pain in his back going into the match and it only got worse as United targeted him without fear of reprisal. Hazard is expected to miss the Europa League fixture and probably Burnley after that. It would also be surprising to see him start against Derby County after that.

That could really throw a wrench into Chelsea’s current form. But it could also provide a silver lining. The club is heavily reliant on Hazard playing well right now. Without him, they can see exactly how sharp the drop off is and then the club can plan accordingly. Hazard may or may not be around next year but Chelsea can start building resilience without him now.

The most likely back up plan is Willian on one flank and Pedro on the other. Pedro will be no issue as he seems to understand Maurizio Sarri’s tactics well. Willian, however, gets worse and worse with every back to back game he is asked to play.

Callum Hudson-Odoi could finally be given the chance he deserves but that would be unusual of Sarri. At every chance so far, Sarri has opted for more experienced players (including Victor Moses) over the young Englishman.

A more outside of the box option could be a brief formation change. Sarri’s 4-3-3 already shifts into a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-1-2 at times depending on the players on the field and the current play. Given that Chelsea is already flat in the final third with Hazard at times, a new shape could help breathe life into the last few passes.

The three matches, on paper, are winnable with or without Hazard. So the time to experiment (either with new players or formations) is now. Bate and Derby at the Bridge should provide little resistance and Burnley away on current form should not be impossible.

If the club still struggles without Hazard in these matches, they will then know that a strong replacement for Hazard is potentially needed. Hazard could easily leave at the end of the season and the Blues will need a new superstar to take his place. Even if Hazard stays, having a good deputy for him is essential (unless Hudson-Odoi proves that he is a good enough deputy).

Chelsea needs to figure out how to play without Hazard. His injury, though unfortunate, can help the Blues to see exactly how far off they are without him. It can be a unique chance for some of the bench players to prove themselves or for Chelsea to see how badly a superstar is needed for life after Hazard.