Tuchel unambiguously puts paid to any...

doubts regarding Kante.


Tuchel: "I think N’Golo fits into any manager’s plans on the planet."
"I was desperate to have him in my teams [in the past].

"He is a big Chelsea player and one of the best midfielders in the world. So I am so lucky to have him in my squad and that he is back again.

"If you look at his performances coming back from injury, we put him on the pitch against Tottenham with no minutes. That was really difficult but he helped everybody on the pitch with his support, mentality, and quality, which is what he does.

"If you see the step he took in training between the Tottenham match and Sheffield United, the 30 minutes he played [against Sheffield United] was a huge performance. We switched to a three in the midfield and this helped us escape the pressure and be in control of the game again.

“I am very, very impressed. We’ve known him for many years very well because we’ve come from a French club. We were very impressed from the television but to see him live, to see how he works, how humble he is, the quality he gives to the team, it’s a gift to be his coach. I am so happy."


"As a single six, as in a 4-1-4-1, he has to be more disciplined in his position. He can do this but I think we would be cutting his wings a little bit. So double six is best.

"He can play in a three-man midfield – as he did in Sheffield – but if we keep the same structure as in the last few games, it suits him very well.

“It’s clear what we want from him. We want short distances so we can use his strengths in counter-pressing and recoveries of the ball. He is an outstanding player we need in a strong squad and at a big club like Chelsea."