Eden Hazard - (Photo: Sportsboundguide.com)

Change is the word at Stamford Bridge these days.  The wonders of Didier Drogba are now a thing of the past as the striker departed for Shanghai this summer.  Team leaders John Terry and Frank Lampard are also beginning to show signs of age and will have to be replaced eventually.

The current crop that is being brought in to replace many of the older stars looks a lot like the Belgium youth team. Three Belgians played for Chelsea in the friendly match with the Seattle Sounders yesterday and scored three of the four goals for the club.

Romelu Lukaku looks like the second coming of Didier Drogba. His size and strength make him an unstoppable force and his two goals yesterday demonstrated just that.  Having just turned 19, Lukaku is still very young and raw but his potential is unmatched.  Chelsea will look to start the year with

Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge as their strikers, but any lapse in form or injury could lead to opportunities for Lukaku.  As we just witnessed, the young Belgian will be eager to take such chances.

The big name signing for Chelsea this summer was Eden Hazard.  The two time French Ligue 1 Player of the Year is sure to add a step up with flair to the club. Drawing comparisons to Joe Cole, the stocky winger has shown a wonderful ability to dribble, pass, and score.  He will be injected to the lineup from day one and is expected to become a world-class star for Chelsea.  He also had a goal in the Sounders match and looked to be top quality.

Kevin de Bruyne is another midfielder from Belgium who will be looking to add creativity to the Chelsea attack.  Although he was signed six months ago, the 21 year old made his debut for the Blues against Seattle in the second half.  He played well and looks like he could develop into a solid player as well.  He could very well be called upon to replace Frank Lampard in the coming seasons.

In the goal, Chelsea have acquired Thibaut Courtois.  Although the 20 year old goalie is on loan at Atletico Madrid for at least another season, he has played well for the club and is a rising star between the posts.  Current keeper Petr Cech has been incredible for Chelsea and is only 30 years of age, but if Courtois develops well enough, he may be usurped.

Finally, Chelsea now are on the brink of adding Hazard’s younger brother, Thorgan.  This is more of a speculative move but with the talent that Eden has, no one would be all too shocked if both Hazards become fixtures at Chelsea now.

So all in all, there is a very real possibility that within five years time, Chelsea could quite well be starting five members of the Belgium national team in any given match.  Such a high amount of players from one nationality on a squad is rather strange, but could well prove solid for the club and the players’ country.

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