Sarri tells Hazard to increase training intensity to become the world's best

Eden Hazard can become the best player in the world if he trains with more intensity, according to Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri.

Only Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic can match Hazard's five goals in the Premier League this season, while the Belgium star scored a wonderful winner against Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

Hazard and Chelsea face Liverpool again in the top flight on Saturday, this time at Stamford Bridge, and Sarri repeated his claim there is even more to come from the Blues' talisman.

"I think that he's for sure one of the best, but I am absolutely convinced that he can improve," Sarri told a news conference.

"If he is able to improve during training maybe he will be able to use himself at 100 per cent because I think that we have seen only 70, 75, 80 per cent of his potential.

"I think that if he can improve he can be the best in the world.

"For example, [he can do it] with more intensity in training.

"It's difficult to compare him with others, he's a genius I think, it's very difficult. He is unique.

"I think he has the opportunity to do more. He can be the best player in the world, he's a genius. I want him to be the best in the world."

Antonio Rudiger missed the EFL Cup win over Liverpool but Sarri suggested the centre-back could return on Saturday, with Chelsea also benefiting from positive updates over the fitness of Andreas Christensen, Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

"Christensen was not injured. He had a stomach ache during the match, but he's not injured," Sarri added. 

"Pedro [on Thursday] had the last part of training with the team like Rudiger and like Loftus. So we need to see the last training and then we will decide.

"They are all almost ready, so the situation now is better than three or four days ago."