Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has praised teammate Fernando Torres for continuing to ignore the criticism that he has received this season.

Despite scoring 19 goals, Torres has struggled in front of goal for the Blues this season, but after netting three times in his last two Europa League matches, Hazard has hailed the Spaniard's character.

The 22-year-old told L'Equipe: "I believe he is the most criticised player in the world. As soon as there is a bad match, it is his fault.

"He has missed opportunities, just like everyone else. He is always here trying. He has always got over blips and scored goals. That is really impressive.

"He is quite a reserved guy. He is in his own bubble."

Both Hazard and Torres are expected to feature when Chelsea play Rubin Kazan on Thursday.