Chelsea warned about N’Golo Kante decline due to high physical effort
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has given a warning to Chelsea about the potential decline of N’Golo Kante because of the high physical effort that the midfielder has put in the past. The latter has struggled of late, especially this year, having failed to maintain his peak form.
Thomas Tuchel has reduced Kante’s prominence this season as the boss has tried to manage the minutes of the central midfielder. Following the rise of Mateo Kovacic, Tuchel has been able to afford to reduce the former Leicester City man’s game time, who has struggled with injuries over the last few years.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Sun, Petit believes that Kante is struggling physically right now, which is evident from the injury issues and his inability to perform consistently over a set of matches. He also advised the Frenchman to take things slowly during games and manage the workload efficiently.
Necessary evolution?
“You can see the last two years though, so many injuries. He can bring the same energy and the same display on the pitch but not every three days. He’s 31 years old and he’s not immortal, especially in this position in the middle of the park. I wish he could take care of himself a little bit more and be a bit more selfish, maybe think ‘I’m not going to make this run anymore’.”
The former Gunners ace also added that the Blues manager would not be able to manage Kante’s minute for much longer as the crucial part of the season is upon them. He further conveyed that the West London side needs the midfielder at this best if they hope to win silverware this term.
“His sacrifices on the pitch are so overwhelming for his teammates all the time, but Chelsea need the best Kante they can to win trophies and reach their targets. This is the end of the season and the most important part of the season so Tuchel cannot put Kante on the bench and tell him to rest.”
As an ex-defensive midfielder, Petit would have surely experienced the need to manage his world load during his playing career. Perhaps, Kante now needs to do the same himself, which could be crucial to ensure that his career would last much longer than the current rate.
Kante made a name for himself during his title-winning season with Leicester and the early days at Stamford Bridge. He was known for his ability to run tirelessly around the pitch for 90 minutes and break up opposition attacks at will. Under Maurizio Sarri’s tenure, he took things to the next level and fans could see an improvement in his ability to pass and join the attack.
Now it seems that Kante is at crossroads once again, as the 31-year-old may need to change his playstyle to have a longer playing career. Injuries have plagued him this term as well, as the midfielder was out on the stands with a groin issue and a knee problem at times.
It would be in the best interest of all the parties to reduce Kante’s workload during matches and share it among the rest of the players. After all, we would want to enjoy his benefits for longer rather than burning him out by continuing to utilise him the same way. Let’s wait and see whether the club and the player would pay heed to Petit’s words or not moving forward.
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Tuchel’s current system with a 3-4-2-1 formation utilizes just two central midfielders, of which Kante is usually one. Perhaps, adding a workhorse besides him can help him manage the twilight years of his playing career in a better manner.