Chelsea star Eden Hazard has admitted that while his preferred position on the pitch is operating as as a 'number 10', as he does with Belgium, he thinks he will have to make to do a left-wing role at Stamford Bridge because the system won't afford him the opportunity.
"I like to play as a NoŠ10. I think I have more freedom offensively," Hazard is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "Belgium have full-backs who run hard and create a lot of space with the national team, which is good."
It was with the Belgian team at Euro 2016 over summer that Hazard began to rediscover his form of old after a dreadful 2015/16 campaign with Chelsea that was also hampered by fitness problems.
He's played exclusively wide at club level since Antonio Conte arrived in west London, though, and he remains unsure if the chance to move centrally will ever come.
"I don't know if I will play [number 10] at Chelsea. You need to ask the manager! I play on the left hand side and I try to do the best I can," the player said.
"Sometimes at Chelsea we don't play a system with a number 10, too. I don't think Chelsea wants to change just for me (to play) as a 10. I did well in the past as a left winger and for now, I am trying to get back to that best again."
In the early weeks of the season, Conte has largely opted for 4-1-4-1 formation, while it is expected that he will transition to a more Italian-style 3-5-2 system once he has the defensive personnel to make it work. In neither, is there a traditional 'number 10' role.
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