Speaking to the media at the conclusion of the 2021/22 Premier League season, Thomas Tuchel said: “I think N’Golo Kante is our key, key, key player — but key, key, key players need to be on the pitch. He plays only 40 per cent of the games.
“So it’s maybe a miracle that we arrived in third place this season. Because he is our Mohamed Salah, he is our Virgil van Dijk, he is our Kevin De Bruyne. He is our Neymar, he is our Kylian Mbappe. He is the guy who makes the difference.
“And if you only have him 40 per cent, it’s a huge problem. It’s hard to live with because it’s important for him to be here and to have the rhythm. He constantly starts getting into rhythm and once he has rhythm he gets a little injury.
“Then, he’s out again. This guy who gets man of the match in every Champions League game is only here for 40-something per cent of games, this is huge for us. We’ll do everything to solve it. I don’t blame him, but it’s a concern.”
A series of injuries and persistent fitness issues have limited Kante to 42 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea last season.
According to The Athletic, Manchester United are interested in the 31-year-old midfielder who has one year remaining on his Stamford Bridge contract.
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