Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has said that he has "no sympathy" for Eden Hazard after the Belgium winger was dropped from the Chelsea side last week.
Last season's double Player of the Year was reduced to the substitutes' bench as the Blues beat Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday, and Neville claimed that Hazard's below-par performances have rightly been acknowledged by manager Jose Mourinho.
Neville told Sky Sports News: "I've got no sympathy for Hazard. I expect more of him and we're talking about great players in the Premier League. We say there's a shortage of world-class players in the Premier League. How many real top world-class players do we have?
"Sergio Aguero and David Silva you would put up there and Hazard is there too as an offensive player and there might be a couple more, but they're the three I think of off the top of my head.
"And Hazard for me now, there was talk of him going into that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi category but they don't have off periods and even when they do, they are still contributing. I've got no sympathy for him and with that question mark hanging over him. He's got to pull himself out of [the lull]."
Hazard's Chelsea return to domestic action when they travel to West Ham United on Saturday.
Paul Gorst
