star N’Golo Kante must learn to become more ‘selfish’ because he is ‘not immortal’.
That’s according to former Blues midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who believes years of doing the dirty work for his team-mates are finally catching up with Kante.
The 31-year-old has started just 15 of Chelsea’s 29 league matches this season and he’s struggled with niggling injuries.
has shown caution with selecting Kante even when he’s fit, such is the midfielder’s importance to Chelsea.
And Petit believes Kante is paying for his ‘loyalty’ to team-mates over the years as he’s put his body on the line for others.
‘You can see the last two years though, so many injuries. The machine isn’t the same anymore. He can bring the same energy and the same display on the pitch but not every three days,’ Petit told .
‘I don’t know how many miles he has run over six or seven years in England. He has probably run twice around the world.
‘He’s not immortal, the way he plays physically, you can see he’s struggling.
‘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’.
‘His sacrifices on the pitch are so overwhelming for his team-mates all the time, but Chelsea need the best Kante they can to win trophies and reach their targets.’
Kante was instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League success last season, being named Man of the Match in both legs of the semi-final and in the final victory against Manchester City.
Despite his injury struggles, Petit believes Tuchel will have no other option but to play the Frenchman as Chelsea enter the crucial final stages of the campaign.
‘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. It’s impossible,’ continued Petit.
‘I don’t know players in my generation or any generation where everyone says ‘we love him’. I’ve never heard anything bad said about Kante.
‘On the pitch and off the pitch, about his humility, his mentality, his personality. I love this guy. I would love to have played alongside him on the pitch.
‘Because it’s based on trust, his qualities, his honesty, his sincerity. The relationship he has with his teammates. It’s based on loyalty.
‘He’s so important to his mission on the pitch, he puts the team before himself all the time.
‘The best example of what we can have in football, the opposite of the stars that want to shine along without their teammates.
‘Kante isn’t looking for it, he just wants to win trophies, that’s his only task on the pitch.’
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