Eden Hazard asked for custom shin pads to protect calves, says Mourinho

Jose Mourinho is a dog with a bone when it comes to Eden Hazard's protection: he's not letting it go.

The Chelsea manager once again addressed the treatment of his star winger, telling reporters the Belgian has requested custom shin pads that protect his calves as well as the front of his lower leg.

"Eden told me to speak with my friends who make the carbon shin pads," Mourinho said during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's meeting with Burnley. "I am not joking. He told me to speak with them because I am friends with the guy, to try to make it also for the back (of his calves). Like a horse, when the horses do the jumping - in front and behind. Because now he gets (kicked) behind.

"I know (Hazard is the most fouled player), but he is not the player that as a consequence of that creates more cards for the opponent.

"Normally, you get 100 fouls and the opponents will get a certain percentage of yellow cards, so if he is the most fouled player, he should be the player that creates more cards for the opponent but he isn't."

Premier League stats do substantiate part of his claim, as Hazard leads the league in fouls drawn (74) by a significant margin on Raheem Sterling (60) - that said, he has garnered over 200 extra minutes of playing time compared to his Liverpool counterpart this season (2,211 minutes played to Sterling's 1,974).

Mourinho added that he's proud of Hazard's conduct on the pitch, reminiscent of comments he made earlier in the week claiming the 24-year-old doesn't draw many cards because of his honesty: "If (Hazard's) another player, he dives, stays on the floor, rolls in the grass, screams."