Jose Mourinho admits he took a gamble in punishing Eden Hazard for indiscipline in midweek – because Chelsea might have needed him against Schalke.
The Belgian visited his old club Lille on Sunday and was presented to their fans before the game. But he made the trip without permission from the boss and compounded the problem by mislaying his passport and getting back late for training.
Mourinho's quick-fix: Omission from the team that played Schalke in the Champions League.
The Portuguese said the issue is now done and dusted, but conceded that taking a tough stance was a calculated risk.
“It was a bit of a risk not to select him for the last match, speaking in terms of pure football, because he's a player that could help us to win a very important match,” Mourinho said.
“But I think sometimes as a manager you have to take some risky decisions when you feel some consequences for the group are very important – and I think it was an important decision that everybody got.
“He went to a foreign country when he shouldn't go, and on top of that he lost his passport, which didn't allow him to be back in training, which is obviously unacceptable. But again, it's over.
"He knows that he made a mistake. There are no more consequences. The consequences were not to play, which I think are the worst that can happen to a player because it's what they always want to do.”
Mourinho added: “The kid is a very good kid, so no problems and I think he reacted well because he apologised to me and to the club.
“Of course the apology was not accepted because it was something I couldn't accept. But it's over. It's something that doesn't exist any more. He's selected [against West Brom tomorrow], he's ready to play.
“I hope and I believe he has the appetite to play because he loves to play football and I didn't allow him to play the last game. So I'm happy that he's back.”
