Is Facing Eden Hazard with Italy Antonio Conte's First Test as Chelsea Boss?

Antonio Conte has another month before he takes over at Chelsea this summer. It doesn't mean his new job isn't throwing up significant tests already, though.

Italy face Belgium in their opening game of Euro 2016 on Monday, and it will put Conte up against two of his most vital players at Stamford Bridge, with Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois set to line up for the Red Devils.

Then there is the small case of Chelsea's reported interest in Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan, who remains a key target for the Blues, according to the Independent.

Conte is an unenviable position. Should Italy win on Monday night, fans of the Azzurri will no doubt be lauding him as a genius given how Belgium are overwhelming favourites for the game. On the flip side, though, it could mean his time at Chelsea gets off to the worst possible start.

How will Conte attempt to contain Hazard inside Lyon's Stade des Lumieres? Will he opt for the tough-guy treatment? Or will he use his famed tactical nous to stifle a player he will be inheriting at Chelsea in five weeks' time?

VINCENZO PINTO/Getty Images

Either solution isn't ideal, more so the latter. We saw how Hazard's form nosedived last term as he struggled with injury, but when he eventually regained fitness, his form at the back end of 2015/16 was exceptional.

He was back influencing games and winning Chelsea points. Hazard's appearance off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur played a big part in the Blues coming from 2-0 down to draw the game in early May, denying Spurs the Premier League title in the process. He also also scored a wonder goal against Liverpool at Anfield.

It was a fleeting example that an in-form Hazard can be an unstoppable force. The smile had returned to his face and defenders were frowning because of it. Now Conte's task is to remove it once more and, in the process, risk revealing his hand to rival managers, who will no doubt be watching events unfold closely.

Hazard seems to be taking the encounter all in his stride.

"I am happy to play against my future coach and hope to show he can count on me [at Chelsea]. We're aiming to reach the final; it won’t be easy, but we’ll take it one game at a time," the Belgium captain told reporters at a press conference on Sunday, per the Evening Standard.

It was the diplomatic response, yet facing Conte's Italy will be a far more heated battle to overcome for both player and manager.

Conte's Italy have been written off in France this summer before a ball has even been kicked. The debate has gone so far as to suggest this could be the worst Azzurri side to ever compete at a European Championship.

For Conte and his players to prove otherwise, they need a result against Belgium to get them started and that means stopping Hazard in his tracks. The No. 10 has the potential to embarrass his new boss and for a man of the former Juventus coach's stature, that simply can't happen.

Handout/Getty Images

So he needs to devise a formula and should it work, he could be weakening his own plans at Stamford Bridge. However Conte deals with Hazard on Monday night, there's every chance he will be gift-wrapping a solution to managers who will be doing the same to him next season.

Come full-time there could be a 90-minute users guide on how to beat Hazard.

It's these sorts of conflicts that make life difficult for Conte in the short term. Outside of Belgium this summer, he could still face Chelsea players who are represented in the Spain and England squads.

For players, those clashes rarely have an impact on domestic football. They are professionals and it's about how they approach the game, regardless of where club loyalties lie. We've seen it often in the Chelsea dressing room where team-mates have had to compete against each other on the international stage.

Indeed, Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry formed an exceptional defensive partnership for six years in west London and it was never damaged by the regular bouts between England and Portugal; the same could be said of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo's relationship on the pitch at Manchester United.

The mindset is different for managers. The dressing room camaraderie doesn't exist in the same way; they're colleagues, but being the boss of elite players and forming a bond is a difficult task.

For a manager in Conte's position, he has it all to do. The burden is on him to show Italy that he is not affected by his impending move to Chelsea, but standing in the way of him doing that are some big figures from Stamford Bridge who will ultimately define success and failure for him .

How will Conte conduct himself on Monday? Italy will be watching on in anticipation. We can be sure every Chelsea fan will be also.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes