Chelsea's Eden Hazard has said he goes easy in training to allow his body to recover from the kicks he takes during matches.
Hazard was speaking after Chelsea had come from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Liverpool at Anfield, a game in which he suffered a kick on the ankle from home goal scorer Mohamed Salah.
The Belgium international produced a fine individual display in the first half, but his influence waned after the challenge from Salah.
Among attacking midfielders, only Watford's Richarlison, Tottenham's Dele Alli, Swansea's Jordan Ayew and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez have been fouled more often than Hazard in the Premier League this season, and the 27-year-old said after the Liverpool match that he prioritises rest in between matches due to the punishment he absorbs.
Hazard said: "Do I protect my legs in training? Yes, yes, yes! To be fair, in training I don't give everything. When we have drills some people go crazy, but I don't want to be kicked in training. I try to have a break.
"We don't have many breaks in the season, so I try in training to have more of a rest and then in games I give everything."
Asked if he suffers a lot of bruises, he said: "Yes. Sometimes I'm feeling a lot. I get a lot of fouls, a lot on my ankle.
"When I'm on the pitch I do receive kicks, but that is part of football and I'm not complaining.
"I do everything for my body when I'm at the training ground. I know my body is strong and I am working on that.
"It is important I do. I'm lucky to have good health, I take good care of my body the best I can."
Hazard has registered six goals and three assists in his last eight matches for Chelsea but occasionally looked isolated alongside Alvaro Morata in a 3-5-2 formation at Anfield.
"We changed the system, Danny Drinkwater was on the pitch and then we were a bit more defensive," Hazard added.
"The only player around me was Alvaro Morata, so if we wanted to win we had to do something together, just me and him.
"That's why I tried to pass my opponent [by dribbling] every time, and in the first half we did well.
"In the second half it was more complicated but we scored, so I am happy."