Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel says N'Golo Kante's injury record will have to be considered when talks over a new contract are held with the midfielder.
Since his arrival from Leicester City in the summer of 2016, Kante has established himself as the most influential member of the Chelsea side. He played a crucial role in the 2017 Premier League title win, the 2019 Europa League victory, and was imperious as the Blues lifted the 2021 Champions League.
However, over the past three seasons, Kante has struggled to stay fit. And since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in January 2021, the Frenchman has had separate spells out with hamstring, knee and groin injuries. He has also missed four matches with two bouts of Covid-19.
READ MORE Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Chelsea vs Leicester, Fofana, Gordon, Kante, Kovacic, Conte
Tuchel has previously compared Kante's importance to Chelsea akin to that of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain – it's why there is a will to keep the 31-year-old at Stamford Bridge beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of the current campaign.
However, the Chelsea head coach admits that Kante's injury record can't be ignored when talks are held. "You cannot," Tuchel said this afternoon. "You have to consider everything that is on the table and on the table is his potential, on the table is his influence, and his quality.
"But also on the table, of course, is his age, his salary and his injury rate. From there you build a whole picture and try to find a solution."
Kante is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue that is set to keep him out for at least the next four weeks. That is a bitter blow for Chelsea so early into the campaign and Tuchel accepts it's difficult to challenge for major honours with the France international ruled out so frequently.
"This [whether Chelsea can challenge for titles without Kante] is a key question and the answer is maybe no – but we try to," Tuchel explained. "It’s much more difficult because you see the impact he has, you see the impact in the goals that we concede, the amount of goals we score, the amount of points that we have, the amount of goals he makes. He makes players simply better around him.
"He gives something that is very unique and don't forget, he also installs confidence that you cannot measure. That’s why he is a key player. But for the key players, it is super important to be on the pitch and to have that impact and be in the rhythm.
"You can count the matches that he is missing, but what about the first two, three or four matches where he needs to re-find rhythm? Nobody is counting these matches so maybe in real life it is even more than just the matches he is missing.
"He comes back for the first match from the bench and maybe a second from the bench, and then the third one still a bit struggling with confidence and rhythm. This is basically the story and, yes, we have huge hopes we can turn things around but this was a bad start."
In final days of the transfer window, Chelsea are not actively pursuing a midfielder that can step in for Kante; a move for Frenkie de Jong is at a standstill with the Netherlands international unwilling to leave Barcelona, who currently owe him around €17million (£14.5 million) in deferred wages.
The Blues are hoping to wrap up a deal for Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana – who will not feature when the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge tomorrow – while a move for Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is inching toward a conclusion. Chelsea also remain interested in Everton winger Anthony Gordon.
There is likely to be more movement in terms of exits with several players considering their future at Stamford Bridge. And Tuchel says that only after the window closes will he have a squad that is fully focused.
He explained: "I think it’s normal. If you drive home and you call your agent, maybe you speak for half a day about the possibilities that you have, and maybe just thinking about it, not even fully considering it but just hearing the options, is a distraction that you should not have if you compete on the highest level. Like it or not, it is simply like this.
"Maybe you don’t see it that the player is in a bad mood or does not train well. Everyone is trying hard and the quality in training is high. Even from the guys that are mentioned where rumours are spreading, if they want to leave or should leave and so on.
"The situation is not ideal but it is not the first time; from 1st September things will calm down. This is the good news. It will calm down and then it will be easiest for us to build an atmosphere and build a certain strength in the group that everybody is really 100% committed, and I don’t mean that in a bad way."
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