Jose Mourinho has delivered another blow for Eden Hazard as another crack appeared in their relationship.
Mourinho refused to give out-of-form Hazard any guarantees about a recall after the Chelsea manager claimed the Belgian winger was not good enough defensively.
The Portuguese also backtracked on some praise he lavished on Hazard last season when he claimed he had a better year than Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I didn’t say he had a better season than Ronaldo,” said Mourinho. “I said that, last season, he won one of the most important titles in football, the Premier League.
“And being absolutely decisive for Chelsea. Last season he had a phenomenal season.
“If he plays tomorrow, I don’t tell you. The players don’t know. How did he train? He trained like Eden.”
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Hazard appeared to even raise some doubt about his future amid a growing belief that Real Madrid want to sign him next summer .
Hazard “liked” a post on social media site Instagram that said: “According to Spanish media Eden Hazard is on Real Madrid’s radar for a 2016 transfer.”
Hazard might get a way back into Chelsea’s starting line-up after Pedro missed the Champions League trip to Dynamo Kiev with injury.
Meanwhile, the Football Association have released the written reasons behind Mourinho’s £50,000 fine and suspended stadium ban after his outburst at referee Bobby Madley following the Southampton defeat.
The FA effectively imposed a gagging order on Mourinho which makes it very clear that if he oversteps the mark again in the next 12 months - he will get a ban.
The report wrote: “In our judgment the fair way to impose this deterrent is to suspend the ban so that Mr Mourinho is able quite easily to avoid its ever coming into effect.
“The matter is in his hands. All he has to do is refrain from any further breach by media comments for the next 12 months, whereupon the ban will expire completely.
“It appears to us that increasing levels of fine are not on their own going to be a reliable deterrent for Mr Mourinho against improper comments to the media.”