Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink says Eden Hazard is getting back to his best.

Hazard, who returned to the starting XI as a stand-in striker against Manchester United in their last game, has not scored for Chelsea this season but Hiddink senses an eagerness to put that right.

"I'm not a psychologist who tells players to come in and lie on the couch and I will assess you professionally," he said. "I have short conversations with most of the players, and you smell how they feel and how eager they are. They are not official sessions. But Eden smells well.

"He came back with a strong character and wanted to play in the last games. Normally, if a player has been injured, he likes to take time to get into good physical and mental shape, but he was eager to play against Watford.

"You could see when he was warming up, looking at me, using his eyes to say, 'Bring me on, bring me on'. That is an indication he can get back to the performance levels we are used to. He had a difficult game at Old Trafford, where they were searching for him all over the pitch, but he reacted well. His character is very strong. If he keeps doing that, he will come back to the levels we are used to.

"He can cope with the comparisons (to Messi and Ronaldo) but it's not always fair. He's an outstanding player, but he's a different player also. It's hard to say he's on the level of different players. But potentially he's a highly-qualified player. He has to find his own way. His character is quiet but very determined."