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Eden Hazard thinking only of Chelsea, needs time to recover fitness - father

Eden Hazard's father has denied that the Belgium international is seeking a move away from Chelsea and said his current injury problems are down to playing too many games.

Hazard's future at Chelsea is uncertain amid reported interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain after a disappointing season for both the player and his club.

It has been claimed that the 25-year-old, last season's PFA Player of the Year, is unhappy at Stamford Bridge but his father, Thierry, denied that is the case.

"Eden is at Chelsea and thinks only of Chelsea," he told Sportwereld.

Chelsea are currently 14th in the Premier League, 19 points behind leaders Arsenal and 13 behind Tottenham in fourth, but Hazard's father said the player has not yet given up on the season.

"Even with Chelsea he still has targets," he said. "Winning a title might be hard, but the top three is still possible."

Hazard is currently absent with a groin injury and his father believes that is because he has played too regularly.

Hazard has featured in 26 games for Chelsea so far this season in addition to his international commitments for Belgium, and he lasted just 16 minutes against Crystal Palace on Jan. 3, having suffered a hip injury just 30 minutes into the defeat to Leicester last month.

Thierry said: "Eden got injured because he played so many games. I am confident that his current groin injury is related to the hip injury he sustained earlier.

"Eden plays a kind of football where you have to be 100 percent, so I hope that he takes the time to hit top form again. He is at an age at which his season and his games should be planned carefully."

Sportwereld published a report saying Hazard had played over 60 games per season since turning18 in 2009, and has played more games at the age of 25 than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney had managed.

"Few players have played as much in recent years as my son," he added.

Hazard Sr. said his son was determined to be at peak fitness for Euro 2016.

"Eden wants to be ready for the European Championship, but the only thing he is concentrating on is to quickly recover his fitness and play matches," he said.

Interim Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink said at his news conference on Friday that Hazard would not feature in the FA Cup clash with Scunthorpe on Sunday or Tuesday's league game at home to West Bromwich Albion, but he suggested he could potentially play against Everton on Jan. 16.

"We have a midweek game, we have a game next weekend," Hiddink said. "Midweek he will not make but we have to be careful also because the player must not fall again after twice being involved in a physical trap.

"I think this time we should take a bit more time. He was fit to play but he took an unfortunate slip in the Crystal Palace game. We must be careful and maybe go one game or half a game later than one game or half a game early."