Hazard must ‘stay calm’ in Russia

MOSCOW: Belgium playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has advised teammate Eden Hazard to remain calm as he expects the Chelsea winger to be targeted aggressively by the opposition at the World Cup.

Hazard limped off with a dead leg after a series of heavy tackles in Belgium’s 4-1 win over Costa Rica in Monday’s warm-up game.

“If you are good then people try to kick you,” De Bruyne told reporters.

“You need to calculate what is coming. You try to stay calm as much as possible. Sometimes that isn’t easy, but you just try.”

De Bruyne, who enjoyed a stellar Premier League season with champions Manchester City, believes such situations can be used as an advantage.

“Even if he (Hazard) gets kicked we get a free-kick, an advantage, and they get a yellow, so it is positive,” the 26-year-old added.

Belgium, who are unbeaten in 19 games, play Panama in their Group G opener on Monday, before taking on Tunisia and England.

Meanwhile, England defender Kyle Walker is ready to sacrifice his preferred right-back spot and play as a centre-half at his first World Cup, the 28-year-old has said.

A key member of City’s title-winning team last season, Walker has been deployed as a right-sided centre-back in a back-three by manager Gareth Southgate and is likely to retain the spot against Tunisia in their Group G opener on Monday.

“I have been playing professionally since I was 18 at right-back, so to go to your first World Cup and probably not play in your preferred position ... is ... well, not disappointing but a little bit of a step back,” Walker told British media.

“I have to move on from it ... as long as the manager feels it is going to benefit the team, then why not?”

Walker, who was an integral part of a City defence that conceded the fewest goals in the league last season, outlined the importance of reading the game as a centre-half.

“It is about reading the game, I don’t want to leave space at the back to get on a counter-attack,” he added.

“I’m a defender first and foremost, and if I’m playing right centre-half I am even more of a defender than the wing-backs”. – Reuters