Sarri on Chelsea’s woeful second half collapses: I can try and not go into the dressing room at half

Eden Hazard should be fit for Monday night’s Premier League encounter with Burnley after being replaced during Chelsea’s laboured Europa League win against Slavia Prague tonight.

Head coach Maurizio Sarri confirmed after the 4-3 victory at the Bridge, that Hazard has: “Nothing serious. Only a knock. A strong knock.”

The Italian saw his side collapse in the second half after leading 4-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate.

He said of the game: “[We did] very well in the first half, I think.

“As usual we started badly in the second half. We need a solution. In the last 10 matches we started like this match.

“It is a big problem. We had to get qualification and maybe we thought we had at the end of the first half.

“I have never seen something like that, like these opponents. It was clear the second half would be difficult. We did something wrong. They scored with a kick with no one near. We are happy to go through.”

So while Sarri and the players know there is a second half problem, what do they do about it. His solution maybe is not to bother with one.

He said of his half-time team talk: “At half-time I said the target was the start with the same application. I don’t know why. It is not easy to understand.

“Otherwise we can’t solve the situation. I can try not to go into the dressing room at half-time.”

Chelsea will face German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-final and Sarri said of the encounter: “To win it will be very difficult. We need to study our opponents. We want to get to the final. Eintracht are a great team with a wonderful striker, Jovic. In the other semi-final there are two very good teams. I am not happy Napoli are out. If the final was Chelsea vs Napoli I am sure at the end of the match I am really very happy.

It is very important to play the final. I want to win.”