Eden Hazard took part in a light training session on his own at Cobham
The Belgian playmaker was pictured yesterday taking part in a light session on his own in Cobham over a month earlier than expected.
Premier League champions Chelsea had announced in early June it would be three months before Hazard, 26, could train again following right ankle surgery after an injury sustained on international duty.
But now he could even play next month should he prove his fitness with his first team colleagues currently on a pre-season tour of Asia and comes after it was revealed forward Pedro, 29, will start the season as a masked man.
The Spaniard is flying home from Asia following a sickening clash with Arsenal keeper David Ospina in the friendly in Beijing at the weekend which left him with concussion and fractures to his eye socket and cheekbone.
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Antonio Conte admits Pedro's injury was worse than he first thought
With a mask, and in around 10 days, he can come back to work with us
Antonio Conte on Pedro
Manager Antonio Conte expects Pedro to play with a protective facial mask and be available for the season opener, ironically also against Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 6.
“The situation was more serious than I thought because I hoped it would only be concussion and instead he had multiple fractures,” he said.
“With a mask, and in around 10 days, he can come back to work with us.”
Conte insists Ospina was blameless following the incident in his side’s 3-0 win.
“No, absolutely not,” he said, when asked if the Arsenal goalkeeper was at fault. “I was a player and I know these type of accidents can happen. Ospina tried to take the ball.”
Conte is planning to give new record signing Alvaro Morata his debut in Singapore against Bayern Munich tomorrow.
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Alvaro Morata is expected to play his first game in a Chelsea shirt against Bayern Munich tomorrow.
“My plan is to give him the possibility to play part of the game but not from the start because he only arrived yesterday and started to work with us,” he said.
“Morata is a young player who has a lot of experience in his career because he played with two big teams in Real Madrid and Juventus. He has also played a lot of games in the Champions League and won it last season.
“He can have a big impact in the Premier League. It’s different if you compare it to leagues in other countries because it’s very tough and physically it’s strong, but Morata is ready to have a big impact.”
