Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insisted that Eden Hazard was 'joking as usual' after being told that he would be on the bench for the Europa League semi-final first leg clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 28-year-old was a surprise omission from the starting XI for the game at the Commerzbank Arena in Germany, coming on in the second half to replace Willian.
Sarri stated that he left the Belgian on the bench due to having played ten matches in a row from the beginning and that he needed a rest, while he also wanted to make an impact from the bench.
But instead of sulking missing out on a big match, the Italian revealed Hazard was his usual happy self for his team.
Every word Maurizio Sarri just said on benching Hazard, Luiz contract and Loftus-Cheek's impact
"[I told him] In the meeting before the match. Like all the others," Sarri said. "Usually, I don't speak with the players that I want to put on the bench. Eden, for me, is a player.
Probably he is the best player, but he is a player. And so I have to do it otherwise I have to speak to everyone for every match, and I don't have the time.
"[He reacted] In the normal way. He was in the dressing room joking as usual, as normal. But he knows the truth very well.
"He knows very well that sometimes he has to rest. For a player that has to play 70 matches in a season, it's normal. A normal reaction."
Chelsea player ratings vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Kante & Loftus-Cheek superb, Giroud poor in draw
Keep up to date with the latest news, features and exclusives from football.london via the free football.london app for iPhone and Android .
Available to download from the App Store and Google Play .
