Chelsea face Manchester City in the Champions League final on the 29th of this month and according to pundit Ian Wright, midfielder N’Golo Kante could prove to be the biggest asset for the Blues.
Kante has been a constant figure in the middle of the park under the managerial tenure of Thomas Tuchel and he along with Jorginho have neutralized teams like Porto and Real Madrid in the Champions League.
And Ian Wright feels, Tuchel will need N’Golo Kante to feature in that defensive midfielder’s role in the UCL final or else Pep Guardiola’s side could take control of the midfield without much of a challenge.
“You see the way they’ve given that goal away,” said the former Arsenal striker, as quoted.
“That is something that City will see. When he (Mateo Kovacic) got that ball there – they were determined to play – he hardly had any options.
“I think that if they are going to play like that, then they are going to be in trouble against City.
“Especially without Kante. We don’t know what’s happening with Kante. That’s something that’s massive as well. He has to be playing.
“That was a worry. They were very comfortable in the game and then they gave them that opportunity.”
Last season, N’Golo Kante was in and out of the side due to various injuries but this season, the World Cup winner has once again shown how important he is to the side.
Kante is one of the first names on Tuchel’s team sheets but the manager will surely be a bit concerned since he had to take off the midfielder after just 32 minutes against Leicester City on Tuesday night.
Thomas Tuchel said after the game that N’Golo Kante came off right before he could pick up a hamstring injury and if this is true then there’s nothing much to worry about.
Tuchel has just said he feels positive about nature of Kante's injury. More checks tomorrow but says Kante didn't feel anything too bad. Is hopeful for Sunday. Havertz the same. #CHELEI
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) May 18, 2021
But Chelsea are yet to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League meaning their final game of the season vs Aston Villa will not be a mere formality hence it will be interesting to see if the Chelsea boss chooses to rest Kante in view of the final or does the Frenchman reprise his role on Sunday.
Mateo Kovacic is a more forward-thinking player than N’Golo Kante but with players like Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden in the fold, Chelsea will need someone like Kante to provide that extra layer of cover to their defenders if they really wish to lift the UCL title.
