Eden Hazard's father has stated that an occasional role on the bench would be beneficial for the Chelsea winger.

Hazard has performed well below his best so far this season and as a result, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has benched the usually indispensable Belgian star in a couple of matches already this term.

The 24-year-old would have been disappointed to be relegated to the bench but the winger's father, Thierry, has gone on to reveal that being handed a bit of rest would not be the worst thing in the world for the former Lille star.

"Every cloud has a silver lining," Thierry Hazard said in The Times.

"If he plays less, he would arrive less tired at the Euros, which he is so keen on playing because it takes place in his back garden [France], with his own watching.

"Eden plays since the age of 16 years in the first team. In almost six years, he has never been suspended or suffered a big injury. You have to put things in perspective. Each year he sets new goals that he makes a real point of achieving.

"Personally, he is conscious of having to improve his stats. His strength lies in knowing exactly where he is at, but never gets overwhelmed: he does not purposely miss a penalty."