Whilst Chelsea’s 0-0 stalemate with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge last weekend somewhat stalled the momentum that Antonio Conte’s men have been building, they have a welcome boost ahead of Saturday.

Talisman Eden Hazard safely negotiated his way through the whole 90 minutes on Wednesday night during Chelsea’s Carabao Cup victory and, barring any late drama, he’s expected to feature at Stoke City.

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It may come as a surprise that the Belgian has only scored once in his previous eight appearances against the Potters in all competitions, but don’t let that put you off a Draft Fantasy pick this week.

After what seems like an age on the side-lines he’ll be itching to get back into Premier League action and make his mark on this Chelsea team after his exceptional 16-goal exploits during their title triumph.

The likes of Willian, Pedro and Alvaro Morata have been the ones getting the plaudits up until now and Hazard will want to join them and show that his time on the side-line hasn’t impacted his final product.

And the 26-year-old forward showed just how productive he can be against this Stoke side last year, with Hazard creating five chances, having two shots and earning an assist the last time he featured against Mark Hughes’ side in an entertaining encounter that Chelsea won 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are a team that have been scoring goals lately too – if you take away last weekend’s draw with Arsenal – and Conte’s side have scored two or more in six of previous last eight away matches.

This, allied with the fact that Stoke have conceded seven goals in the past four matches in all competitions, suggests Hazard will have the perfect opportunity to open his account on Saturday.

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The absence of Kurt Zouma will prove massive for the hosts too, with the on-loan Chelsea defender arguably their best player so far this season, and the void left by him means Hazard could fill his boots.

The only potential risk is that Conte could decide to persist with Willian and Pedro as his two wide outlets, deeming Hazard not quite ready for a start, but following the Spaniard’s withdrawal at half-time on Sunday through injury there’s a 90% chance that the Chelsea manager will now look to Hazard.