Don Hutchison believes Chelsea are totally transformed when N’Golo Kante is in the team.
N’Golo Kante, who’s missed most of this 2022/23 season through injury, has been back around the Blues squad in recent weeks.
The 32-year-old midfielder has got minutes in his legs this month with Premier League appearances against Aston Villa and Liverpool. Frank Lampard did confirm Kante was rested for the weekend’s league defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, though.
With the Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Kante has been kept on ice for the European showdown.
ESPN pundit Hutchison pointed out the fact that Chelsea really struggled without Kante over the weekend.
In fact, he says the Blues look a different proposition with the all-action midfielder in the side.
“Kante was a miss [against Wolves]… You add him to that midfield they’re a different team,” Hutchison told ESPN.
If fit and available, Kante is still a no-brainer to make Chelsea’s best XI. He really elevates the team’s game with his presence in both halves of the pitch.
First of all, you’ve got the version of Kante that breaks lines and dribbles past opponents with ease. It’s an underrated part of the game that the team really miss.
In addition, he remains an expert in defending without the ball and regaining possession.
We expect it’s going to be a gruelling 90 minutes out in the Bernabeu this week against Madrid, who are the current Champions League holders.
However, Kante is definitely the type of midfielder any side would pick to go toe-to-toe with Madrid. Let’s just hope he’s feeling fit and ready.