Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said he would rather see his side lose than have a selfish player among his ranks.

Ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Southampton on Tuesday night, the Italian was asked whether Eden Hazard could reach the same heights as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi if he played with a more selfish mindset.

Hazard has been a key figure in Chelsea's season so far and netted his 15th goal of the season against Tottenham in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Thibaut Courtois – 6 out of 10 Aside from the two Tottenham goals, the Belgian keeper made a handful of vital saves to keep his side in it. Getty Images, Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta – 6 out of 10 Was getting dragged out of position at times, but overall it was a satisfying display. He tackled well and supported the midfielders in possession. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings David Luiz – 9 out of 10 His defensive display today was faultless. He tackled hard, led the line at the back and was creating moves from the back. Getty Images, Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Nathan Ake – 7 out of 10 Today was a huge chance for Ake and he certainly performed under pressure. The only issue was that he was diving into challenges – resulting in a number of needless Tottenham free kicks. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Victor Moses – 8 out of 10 Was certainly one of Chelsea’s top players today. He was energetic, oozing with confidence and he won the penalty for Willian’s second goal. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings N’Golo Kante – 8 out of 10 A textbook Kante display. Energetic, powerful, clever and quite simply ran the midfield. He is the engine within the Chelsea side. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Nemanja Matic – 7 out of 10 His somewhat mediocre display was redeemed his sublime strike from distance in the late stages of the game. Getty Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Marcos Alonso – 6 out of 10 He looked dangerous pressing forward, but defensively he was clumsy and gave away a handful of unnecessary fouls. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Willian – 9 out of 10 He appeared to thrive on the pressure of his late introduction to the starting 11, with two goals. His free kick was an example of his endless talent. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Pedro – 6 out of 10 His pace proved problematic for Spurs, but he did not see enough of the ball in my opinion. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Michy Batshuayi – 6 out of 10 Hunted possession relentlessly and when he tracked back to defend a corner, he always the one to clear the danger. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Hugo Lloris – 4 out of 10 Should have arguably saved Willian’s free kick. Aside from that, it was hard for him to look impressive against such a clinical Chelsea side. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Kieran Trippier – 7 out of 10 He was particularly impressive today when he was pumping long balls over the top to Kane and Son from a defensive position. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Eric Dier – 6 out of 10 His work rate was faultless, he created moves going forward and he continued to pump balls into the danger zone. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Toby Alderweireld – 6 out of 10 Aside from giving away the free kick for Willian’s first goal, he performed well and tackled courageously for the full 90 minutes today. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Jan Vertonghen – 6 out of 10 He stood up well when Chelsea were attacking and he made a countless amount of blocks and interceptions. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Victor Wanyama – 6 out o f10 He passed the ball well and was using the width of the pitch well. Defensively there is certainly room for improvement. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Mousa Dembele – 7 out of 10 He patrolled the game from the middle of the pitch, used possession well and won a number of the aerial challenges. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Son Heung-min – 4 out of 10 His decision to slide tackle Moses inside of the area was simply imprudent. Was also very wasteful in possession. Getty Images Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Christian Eriksen – 8 out of 10 He created Kane’s opener and his assist for Alli’s goal will be one of the best that we can expect to see all season. Incredible. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Dele Alli – 8 out of 10 His equaliser for Spurs was an impressive strike, which he thoroughly deserved following a top display. Getty Images, Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 player ratings Harry Kane – 8 out of 10 His headed goal to level the scoring showed top technique from a tricky angle. Today he was energetic, alert and caused the Chelsea defence problems throughout. Getty Images,

Afterwards, Cesc Fabregas stated his belief that Hazard was second in ability only to Messi and can improve if he is more "selfish" and shows a greater "killer instinct".

But Conte argued selfishness was not a characteristic he looks for in his players.

“No, absolutely not,” the Chelsea manager said. “I don't think a player like Messi is a selfish player. The target for every great champion is to play for the team.

“The best players aren't without the team. For me, it is sad when I listen to this, that one player must be more selfish to reach the top level.

“It is sad because it is not my idea of football. I will never understand this. In my team, I don't want selfish players. I prefer to lose a game than have selfish players. I don't want that in my club. Never.”

The Blues could complete the double in Conte's first season in charge after advancing to the FA Cup final on May 27, where they will face Arsenal.