The sight of N’Golo Kante returning to training at Cobham on Wednesday was potentially game-changing.
Only once in Chelsea’s last five matches has the Frenchman completed 90 minutes, a hamstring strain adding to an Achilles problem in the latest indications that the 30-year-old’s body is no longer in prime condition.
In each of the last two seasons, he has made fewer than 30 league starts and of the nine Premier League games in which Chelsea tasted defeat this season, he missed four.
Thomas Tuchel may not be able to rely on the World Cup winner’s invincibility, but he can at least be buoyed by his ability to recover in time for the big moments.
Kante also looked set to miss the FA Cup final against Leicester (Chelsea were beaten anyway, but he was their most dynamic midfielder at Wembley). He recovered in time, which was just as well given how badly the Blues missed him in their league loss to the Foxes.
A more sobering thought, based on how Youri Tielemans and Wilfried Ndidi dominated the midfield battle at the national stadium, is how Tuchel’s men might cope in Porto without Kante, the one player who seems a match against the might of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
They are arguably the best in the world in their respective positions and regardless of whether his personal stats have dipped a little, the Belgian playmaker assumes even more importance playing for a City side who aren’t deploying a conventional striker.
Whether De Bruyne drops deeper, bringing him toe-to-toe with Kante, or operates higher up the pitch as a false nine, it seems unlikely that Pep Guardiola will restrict him to too narrow a role.
The English champions are at their best operating with freedom and Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger will need all the protection they can get in order to thwart the side destiny has finally brought to European football’s biggest showpiece after years of disappointment.
On the flip side, in Rodri and Fernandinho, City boast the perfect example of balance. Ilkay Gundogan would be a greater attacking threat from the midfield and could replace the Brazilian as Guardiola looks to prevent being sucked into a war of attrition.
Kante is not the only player on whom Tuchel is sweating, with Edouard Mendy also a doubt having suffered a rib injury in colliding with the goalpost at Villa Park.
The goalkeeper has also returned to training and looks set to start in place of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Small details, but potentially decisive ones. Kante’s return wasn’t enough to prevent disaster at Wembley, but in Chelsea’s biggest game of the last decade, he may be the only one who can turn the tide in their favour this time.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2R1iJQi
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