David Luiz has warned Chelsea to expect more twists and turns in their Europa League campaign, with the Brazil international claiming “to win a tournament is not just flowers”. The former Benfica centre-back knows all about chasing down continental glory. He formed part of an historic Champions League success for Chelsea in 2012 as Europe was conquered by the Blues for the first time. A penalty shoot-out success over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena was then followed by another triumph 12 months later. The Europa League was secured in 2013 with a 2-1 win over Benfica. That proved to be an emotional occasion for Luiz against his former club, but he was delighted to get his hands on more major silverware. Chelsea are now back in the hunt for 2019, with Mauruzio Sarri’s side having made their way to the quarter-finals. Slavia Prague are next up for a side expected to mount a serious challenge for the ultimate prize, but Luiz is aware that the Blues will not have things all their own way. He told the club’s official website: “To understand we have to be ready for every single moment. “Bad moments can arrive, emotional moments can arrive, hard moments can arrive, and we have to be ready for that. To win a tournament is not just flowers. “I have learned a lot in my career, and football is nice because there is always something new, and you also have to be ready for that!” Chelsea are yet to suffer a defeat in this season’s Europa League. Impressive progress has been made to the quarter-finals, with Dynamo Kiev swept aside 8-0 on aggregate in the last 16. Sarri’s side should be confident of prolonging their adventure, but there is the potential for bigger tests to come. Napoli and Arsenal have been paired together in the last eight, so one of them will have to fall, but the likes of Valencia, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt and Benfica are also still in the mix. Chelsea will return to European action against Slavia on April 11, but have Premier League meetings with Cardiff City, Brighton and West Ham to take in before then.

Eden Hazard has labelled Belgium's World Cup quarter-final win over Brazil as the highlight of his career as he prepares to make his 100th Red Devils appearance. The Chelsea winger will bring up a century of international outings if he appears for Roberto Martinez's men against Cyprus at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia . Since making his debut in November 2009, he has scored 29 goals and contributed 26 assists across a 10-year Belgium career. But his crowning moment came in Kazan last July when he played his part in a 2-1 win over five-time world champions . Fernandinho's own goal and Kevin de Bruyne's bullet strike gave Belgium the lead before Renato Augusto pulled one back to spark a grandstand finale. But Tite's men were unable to complete their comeback as Belgium set up a semi-final meeting with France. Speaking to L'Equipe , Hazard - who has two Premier League title successes to his name - said: "This victory against Brazil was my best game in the individual aspect as well as the collective one. I perfectly succeeded in everything I was trying to do. Just like the team. "We were not seen as the favourites, as Brazil is one of the best nations. We had trouble in the second half and had a bit of luck too. "But it's still the most accomplished thing I have achieved, all teams included. Because of the emotion we've provided to the staff and the whole country was extreme. "We had a lot of critics at the Euros and we weren't far from an outing against Japan in the World Cup. It would have been seen as a total failure." Despite reaching the last four, Belgium were toppled by eventual winners France, though did go on to win the third-place playoff against England - with Hazard scoring in a 2-0 success. The strike was his third of the tournament in Russia, following a brace in the 5-2 thrashing of Panama in the group stage. And that game also figures among the most memorable of Hazard's international tenure. "These are my first two goals in the World Cup, we won well and it's also one of my best games, to start our second participation in this competition, we did not win it, but we finished third," he added. "The best result in the history of Belgium. We lost in the semi-finals against France on a corner. I will remember the feeling we left. We were not the best. "But all the testimonials that I receive tell me that the most beautiful team was Belgium, I like to emphasise the pleasure and the memory that we have left."

Chelsea star Eden Hazard dismissed reports that he has already agreed a move to Real Madrid, insisting "there is still nothing" with the La Liga giants.  Hazard has been strongly linked with Madrid for months, and although he has often spoken positively about playing for Chelsea and Maurizio Sarri, he has continued to flirt with Los Blancos. He went as far as claiming playing for Madrid was a "dream" of his last year, though he was unable to follow Belgium team-mate Thibaut Courtois to the capital club last summer summer. Rumours have continued to link the 28-year-old with a move to Madrid throughout the season, with Hazard leaving himself open for a possible departure. Zinedine Zidane's return to Madrid only further fuelled rumours, which seemed to come to a head on Saturday when reports suggested the 28-year-old has already reached an agreement with Madrid for a five-year contract. However, speaking while on international duty with Belgium, Hazard moved to quash such speculation, though he did little to ease the worries of Chelsea fans that a deal might eventually be reached.  Initially, when Hazard recognised a Madrid question was forthcoming at a news conference, he said: "No, no, I'm not here to talk about Real." But he was pressed for an answer, replying: "There is still nothing. I'm focused on [playing against] Cyprus - that's the only thing I'm working on now." The star man's contract with Chelsea expires following the end of next season, and if he does not ink fresh terms the Blues risk losing Hazard for nothing in the summer of 2020. However, the club also face a transfer ban and have failed in their appeals thus far, leaving them in a difficult spot in their hunt to replace Hazard should he depart.  Hazard has scored 13 goals and set up another 11 in the Premier League this season. He also helped Belgium get their Euro 2020 qualification campaign off to a fine start last Thursday, scoring a brace in a 3-1 victory over Russia in Brussels.  Hazard and the Red Devils visit Cyprus on Sunday as they look to go two-for-two in their start of qualification. 

Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes he can become a box-to-box midfielder for Chelsea and England in the Frank Lampard mould. At 23 years of age, a Stamford Bridge academy graduate is still working on his game. He is seen as a creative playmaker for the most part, with his physicality and technical ability considered to make him perfect for a creative post. Loftus-Cheek is, however, of the opinion that he can become an all-action member of the engine room for club and country, with there the potential to follow in the footsteps of iconic figures such as Lampard. The Blues star told FourFourTwo of the positional plans for his future: “I’ve always considered myself to be a No.8 in midfield, but I can play in other positions. “It’s good that I’m so versatile because I just love to play football and don’t mind where. “Long term, though, I see myself as a box-to-box midfielder.” For now, Loftus-Cheek is still trying to prove his worth at Chelsea. He has seen regular game time around untimely knocks this season, with continental competition providing him with the most minutes. “The Europa League is certainly where I’ve got my opportunities since the start of the season,” added Loftus-Cheek. “It’s a good competition – European football is a test and something we want to do well in. “I’ve got more chances to play in the Premier League off the back of it as well. We want to go all the way and lift the trophy in May.” Quizzed on whether European football has been a steep learning curve, Loftus-Cheek said: “To be honest, it’s not too different – it’s still a high level of football and playing under the lights at Stamford Bridge is always a great feeling. “The one thing I’d say about playing in the Europa League is you have to be mentally strong. “Travelling to grounds with hostile atmospheres and trying to win, grinding it out on pitches which may not be the best, is tough, so you have to be switched on.” Loftus-Cheek has helped Chelsea through to the quarter-finals of the 2018-19 Europa League, recording a first senior hat-trick along the way. A meeting with Slavia Prague is next on the agenda for the Blues and success in the competition could present Maurizio Sarri’s side – who sit sixth in the Premier League – with an alternative route into the Champions League for next season. Loftus-Cheek said of the emphasis being placed on it: “It’s obviously not the Champions League, but it’s still a big competition and I think we’re good enough to win it. “Playing European football is something you look forward to every season.”

Callum Hudson-Odoi has been told that trading Chelsea for Bayern Munich should be an “easy decision”, with former England striker Geoff Hurst of the opinion that a move makes sense. A teenage talent currently on the books at Stamford Bridge has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence. While still on the fringes of the Blues fold in January, Goal revealed that he was the subject of a £35 million ($46m) bid from the reigning Bundesliga champions. Chelsea knocked back that interest and remain hopeful of retaining the services of a prized academy graduate, but no new contract has been agreed and the exit talk continues. Hudson-Odoi is now looking to make a senior international debut, having been drafted into Gareth Southgate’s plans for the first time, and an iconic figure from England’s past believes following the likes of Jadon Sancho to Germany could be the best call for a potential Three Lions star of the future. Hat-trick hero from the 1966 World Cup final, Hurst told Grosvenor Sport: “In terms of Hudson-Odoi being linked with Bayern Munich, it makes sense and I’d look at it and think it’s an easy decision for him to make. “If he’s playing for Bayern Munich and does well there, I think he’ll give himself a better chance of becoming a regular for England than if he stays with Chelsea. “Chelsea aren’t developing English players, given the amount they have got and the number who leave on loan and don’t get opportunities. “It would be a lesson learnt again for rich English clubs like Chelsea if a player like Callum rejected their contract offer and moved elsewhere. “But first and foremost, I really hope he does well for England and fingers crossed he can start off his international career in the best possible way – with a win and a good performance.” Hudson-Odoi could be involved in England’s opening Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic on Friday. He has been promoted from the U21 squad by Southgate, with a man who has guided the Three Lions to World Cup and Nations League semi-finals continuing to put his faith in youth. Hurst added: “I’m not surprised to see Callum Hudson-Odoi in the England squad because it’s consistent with what Gareth Southgate has done in his time as England manager – put faith in younger players. “He isn’t afraid to bring in young English players who haven’t got a great deal of experience playing regularly for their clubs in the first team, and Gareth has been pushed into that because of the nature of the Premier League. “Too many English clubs are reluctant to play young players in the league on a regular basis. Chelsea are farming out lots of young talent and when teams do that it presents a problem for Gareth Southgate. “I wasn’t selected for England until I was proving it week in week out with West Ham, but I thought I should have been given an opportunity earlier, so it’s nice to see guys like Hudson-Odoi get the chance to prove it at a young age.”