Thomas Tuchel reveals plans for key Chelsea star this season

N'Golo Kante at Chelsea. (GETTY Images)

Thomas Tuchel has revealed his plans for Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante

Speaking in an interview (h/t football.london), Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has stated that Chelsea will manage the gametime of N’Golo Kante going into the international break.

Kante returned from an injury not long after Thomas Tuchel took over the managerial hotseat at Stamford Bridge in January. This meant that the Frenchman did not start any of Tuchel’s first 5 league games in charge.

He did feature in three of those 5 matches as a substitute, but it raised concerns about his gametime among a section of the fanbase. That has been put to rest as Kante has played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s last 3 league matches.

Thomas Tuchel says N’Golo Kante will not play 90 minutes in every game until the international break at least. (GETTY Images)

However, the German boss says that this pattern would have to be disrupted for a while in order to manage Kante’s fitness. He hopes to have him back to complete fitness after the international break.

Managing his gametime

“He has come back from an injury so he will not play now every 90 minutes before the international break. We will manage him and we do that with the physical coaches.”

Tuchel praised the 29-year-old’s intensity as well, saying that the midfielder does the work of two midfielders at times. Kante is a real workhorse in midfield and his engine is one of his biggest strengths.

Jorginho and Matteo Kovacic have been played regularly in midfield by Thomas Tuchel. (imago Images)

“It’s unbelievable. You see his intensity in the physical report after matches and you think they may have tracked two players and put it into the same sheet.”

Tuchel has used Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in a midfield two when Kante was not starting, and it is evident that the duo, alongside Kante, are at the top of the midfield pecking order for the Blues.