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Eden Hazard has warned Tottenham that kicking him will not put him off his game in Sunday’s League Cup final.
The Chelsea winger is the most fouled player in the Premier League this season and manager Jose Mourinho fears Hazard could suffer a major injury if not given more protection by referees.
But the Belgium international is unconcerned and said: “Since I started football, defenders have always tried to kick me. I can cope with that, as long as the tackles don’t kill me. This is football.
“Sometimes I try to keep going but I can’t — the fouls are too hard and I have to go on the floor.
“But I don’t think things have gone too far. If I create a lot, I can get fouls for free-kicks and penalties, so sometimes [being fouled] it’s good. I always just want to score or make an assist, to make good things for the team.”
The 2013 Europa League is the only prize Hazard has won since he moved to Chelsea three years ago.
With the club five points clear in the title race and also in the last 16 of the Champions League, he believes victory over Spurs would trigger more success.
“This trophy can be very important,” he said. “We played a very good campaign last season. Personally, it was good but we won nothing. This season I hope we can change that.
“We have three trophies to win this season and I think that we can win all three.
“We have a good team and have everything we need to win. I know the mentality is very strong.”
