Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is relaxed over speculation regarding a new contract for Eden Hazard and believes the Belgian can develop into one of the club’s all-time legends.

The Portuguese boss acknowledged Hazard’s future during his presser ahead of the Blues’ trip to Stoke, as noted by Chelsea’s official Twitter account: 

Hazard is reported to be on the verge of inking a new five-year deal at Stamford Bridge, as highlighted by The Sun‘s backpage (via Nick Sutton of BBC Radio 4):

Mourinho‘s side enter Monday’s match after getting back to winning ways against Hull City. Talk of an invincible season was ended by Newcastle United during their last Premier League away trip, but Mourinho‘s team have proved largely resilient across all competitions so far this season.

Stoke City beat Arsenal in a 3-2 thriller last time they stepped onto the Britannia Stadium turf, suggesting Mark Hughes’ men have the quality to further dent the Blues’ title credentials.

The in-form Peter Crouch scored when the Potters beat Chelsea by the same scoreline in last season’s corresponding fixture, with goals from Stephen Ireland and Oussama Assaidi overcoming Andre Schurrle’s double.

Chelsea’s social media feed remembered a more straightforward win for the side:

The club’s also highlighted a difficult run for the current leaders, while Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC provided an additional quote from Mourinho:

Delaney also tweeted a snippet of information which could prove pivotal this season:

Mourinho understands the dangers of facing Stoke and has earmarked former Barcelona star Bojan as one of their key threats. The manager remembered the Spaniard’s controversially disallowed goal against his Inter Milan side in 2010, per Delaney:

The boss believes Hughes had added to an already solid foundation at Stoke, per Chelsea’s account:

It’s likely Chelsea will head into this fixture with back-up players Kurt Zouma and Didier Drogba—both of whom were injured during the 3-1 Capital One Cup win over Derby County—back in the squad:

Thibaut Courtois‘ inclusion is yet to be confirmed and could go either way:

Mourinho‘s team will drop down to second on goal difference if Manchester City beat Crystal Palace by four clear goals on Saturday.

While Mourinho‘s squad have proven themselves to possess a focused mentality—their workmanlike efficiency often outshines the need for great style—Manuel Pellegrini’s side can put the pressure on with victory during Saturday’s early kick-off.

Stoke are no pushovers and have the natural grit, not to mention added skill this season, to cause an upset.

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