Eden Hazard: Chelsea star stays at home to nurse knee injury as teammates jet off after sealing Christmas top spot

EDEN HAZARD is having a ‘staycation’ instead of joining the rest of Chelsea’s squad scattered around the world.

Blues boss Antonio Conte gave his triumphant players three days off immediately after Saturday’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, which made it 11 wins in a row.

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Keeper Thibaut Courtois flew to New York, while striker Diego Costa is in Brazil visiting family.

But Belgian winger Hazard has been forced to remain at home to undergo further treatment on the niggling knee injury which he picked up ten days ago.

Hazard, 25, finished the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s victory at Palace and is expected to be fit for the Boxing Day clash at home to Bournemouth.

But Chelsea medics want him in for extra recovery and rehab.

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Conte is still weighing up a request by West Ham to sign his second-choice striker Michy Batshuayi, 23, on loan in January.

SunSport revealed exclusively on Saturday that Hammers chief Slaven Bilic had made the bold bid.

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Batshuayi is keen to go and the key will be the next match which Costa must sit out after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season.

If Conte opts to play Hazard, Willian and Pedro instead of a straight replacement in Batshuayi, then it could help trigger a deal.