Eden Hazard sees Fabregas as fine replacement for Mata

Eden insists loss of Juan won’t Mata!

When Eden Hazard joined Chelsea two summers ago, he quickly formed part of a trio that brought goals and excitement to Stamford Bridge.

Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata became the ‘Three Musketeers’, although they had to settle for winning the Europa League as their only prize.

With Jose Mourinho returning as manager last year, it looked like he could add the defensive stability to go with the flair of this exciting trio.

Hazard and Oscar managed to buy into Mourinho’s philosophy, but Mata didn’t fit and the Spaniard was replaced by the hard-working Willian.

Still, it came as a big surprise when Mata was sold to Manchester United for £37-million in January, having been Chelsea’s Player of the Year in the previous two seasons.

With United and Chelsea having already met each other twice before Mata’s departure, this is the first time he’ll face the London club.

And Hazard admits friendship must be put to one side as Chelsea seek to maintain their advantage at the top of the Premier League.

“I was sad when Juan left because he was a good player,” he admits. “But at the end, he was on the bench and he didn’t play a lot.

“It’s normal as a player that you want to play, so I respected his choice to leave. But I wanted Juan to stay here because it was always a pleasure to play with him.

“He’s my friend but now he plays for Manchester United and I play for Chelsea and I want to win.”

However, the departure of one Spanish World Cup winner has been offset by the arrival of another.

Cesc Fabregas’ return to the Premier League from Barcelona has been a big factor in Chelsea’s flying start.

The ex-Arsenal man has quickly struck up an understanding with his new team-mates and in particular, Diego Costa.

Costa will be missing at Old Trafford today due to injury, but Hazard is happy to acknowledge the impact Fabregas has made in only two months.

“Playing with Cesc is like playing with Mata,” says the Belgian. “When you play with big players, you can learn a lot.

“Cesc is a fantastic player and he can change the game with just one pass. It’s easy to play alongside him and I’m sure there is more to come.

“I’m in the team to be up front and create chances, and Cesc gives me a bit more freedom to do that.

“He’s one of the best midfielders in the world and I can give my best when I have players like this around me.

“For young players like me, Oscar and Willian, it’s good because we want to have a CV like Cesc.”

This will be Hazard’s fourth trip to Old Trafford and he is yet to finish on the losing side.

“United have a new coach and a new generation of players, while others have left the club, so that is not easy,” he adds. “But it’s not for me to judge.

“We just want to keep playing like we have done and stay at the top of the league.”