EDEN HAZARD’S future at Chelsea will not be impacted over whether or not he is named captain.
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri revealed last week he is ready to announce who is the captain after considering the role for several weeks.
Gary Cahill is the current club captain but has been unable to break into Sarri’s starting XI.
In Cahill’s absence, Cesar Azpilicueta has been skipper and led the team in every game he’s played this season.
Next in line is Hazard, who has enjoyed a fine start to the season with six league goals.
Hazard’s current deal expires in 2020 and despite talks over a renewal, no agreement has been reached.
And the Telegraph says Hazard will not make a decision on his future based on the captaincy and it is expected Azpilicueta will be given the nod when Sarri informs the players.
Despite Hazard’s lack of desire to be captain, Sarri is delighted with his form and has pushed him to score 40 goals this season.
He said: “I think Eden is able to score 40 goals.
“He has to score another 33. He is trying to do it.”
But Hazard’s team-mate Antonio Rudiger says the team can’t be reliant on the Belgian.
He said: “We need to learn to kill matches. It’s not only on Eden’s shoulders.
“We need the other players to help him with scoring.
“He has been doing his job very well again, but the other guys must score too – Giroud, Morata, Willian have to score.
“As a team, all of us have to provide more goals, the defenders as well.
“At the end of the day the best scorers are Hazard and Pedro, but with the quality of players we have on the pitch, it’s (the lack of goals from elsewhere) not too good.”