Norwich 1-2 Chelsea: Eden Hazard limp not serious but Kenedy hit with groin injury
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard is not believed to be an injury risk, despite limping at the end of the Premier League win at Norwich City. The Belgium international played the full 90 minutes at Carrow Road but left the field in some discomfort in a major concern for Blues fans.
Hazard set up the opener for Kenedy, who scored the fastest top flight goal of the season with an arrowing drive from 20 yards inside 39 seconds before Diego Costa made it two before half-time, despite being in an offside position. Nathan Redmond pulled one back amid an improved Canaries showing in the second half but Hiddink's side held on to reel off a third win in a row.
But after the game attention quickly turned to Chelsea's injured players Hazard and Brazilian Kenedy, who made his second start standing in for Baba Rahman at left-back and marked it with his first Premier League goal. However, the 20-year-old was replaced after 69 minutes by Rahman and Hiddink confirmed he has suffered a groin problem.
"Eden has had a difficult time with injuries," he said, according to the official Chelsea website. "It's good he is playing full, intense games and then he will grow in physical shape. He had some discomfort but I don't think it's a big problem. Kenedy was subbed because he has what is hopefully only a small injury in his groin."
Victory saw Chelsea climb into the top half of the Premier League for the first time since August and go within five points of fifth-place Manchester United, having played a game more. Hiddink has been coy over the club's aims during the second half of the campaign but has not ruled out catching Louis van Gaal's team.
"Are they catchable? Well first of all we are happy we are away from the relegation zone, though that's not the Chelsea style," he added. "Now with the ambition of Chelsea we must set a new target and see what can we do in the direction of Europe. We have to keep on winning.
"We have a tight schedule as everyone knows. The squad is not very broad so we hope everyone is on board in the upcoming time. If everyone is, with no big injuries, then we would like to go as high as possible towards the European spots."
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