Midfielder N’Golo Kante has had a mixed bag season for Chelsea as the Frenchman has been in and out of the team due to various injury problems.
But since the restart, the World Cup winner has been in top form as manager Frank Lampard has once again handed him his most revered defensive midfielder’s role in the starting line-up.
There had been rumours of Chelsea looking to sell N’Golo Kante off this summer but if his latest performances are anything to go by then Lampard is sure to hold onto him beyond the summer.
And speaking about the 29-year-old, the Chelsea manager has tried to explain what N’Golo Kante brings to the side while playing as a screen in front of the defensive line.
While talking about the comparisons between Claude Makelele & N’Golo Kante, Lampard explained: ‘It is a different position to what I’m asking from Kante to what Makelele played. With eras and the players around you that changes.
‘With N’Golo I have a way I want us to work in midfield to have some fluidity to us, which allows N’Golo to bring his best attributes to the game. They are not always to sit in front of the back four.
‘He has such capacity for high-intensity running and to leave areas, you want him to go and do that, which sometimes leaves him higher up the pitch and the other midfielders have to react.
‘He’s done it well. We can improve as a unit the more everybody works on it together. N’Golo’s attributes and his absolute quality mean he can play in any position you want him to.
‘He is an incredible player and is huge for this club, and he will be going forward for a long time. I’m happy with him.
‘It’s not just about N’Golo, it’s about the other players in the squad. We have a lot of competition in midfield, and at the moment N’Golo is doing a really good job for us there.’
The rise of N’Golo Kante means Jorginho has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea but there’s a big chance that Lampard brings back the Italian into the starting XI in midweek vs West Ham United.
Kante has played a number of games on the trot and will be badly in need of rest meaning Jorginho should come back into the side.
