It was after Chelsea's penultimate game of the 2021/22 Premier League season – a 1-1 draw with Leicester City at Stamford Bridge – that Thomas Tuchel was asked a somewhat innocuous question about the importance of N'Golo Kante in his side. The response from the German was a strong one.
"I think he is our key, key, key player, but key, key, key players need to be on the pitch," said Tuchel. "He plays only 40% of the games, so it is maybe a miracle that we arrive in third place. He is our Mo Salah, he is our Virgil ban Dijk, he is our Kevin De Bruyne. He is simply that player, our Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
"He is that guy who makes the difference, but if you only have him for 40% [of the games], then it is a huge problem. Given that percentage, it is maybe a miracle that we produce these results. It puts everything into perspective as I saw Liverpool without van Dijk last season, and they struggled heavily. You see the difference. N'Golo is our key player, and we need him on the pitch."
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Tuchel wasn't done, though. Far from it. The Chelsea head coach continued: "Last season, in the last final matches of the Champions League, he got the [man-of-the-match] trophy. I mean, they almost handed him the trophy before the match. It was like this. This guy who gets man of the match in every Champions League game, he is only here for 40-something percent of the matches this season. This is huge for us.
"We do everything to solve it. Of course, he as well. I don't blame him, it is just a concern and a fact that we miss him a lot because he brings something that is unique in world football, and he has that ability to lift everybody up and make that difference. This is the challenge for him and for us."
Kante's fitness issues have become pronounced since he defied medical predictions to play in the 2019 Europa League final. Whereas once he was capable of playing 35-plus Premier League games a season, the Frenchman hitting 30 appearances in the top flight is an achievement.
Last term, as Tuchel highlighted, Chelsea didn't see enough of Kante. He made only 21 starts in the Premier League and his form was well below the high standards set by the midfielder. It's why a summer off would have been ideal for Kante, who turned 31 years old in March.
However, like the majority of his Chelsea teammates, Kante was called up for international duty this month, with France in action in the Nations League against Denmark, Austria, and Croatia. It appeared as though there be no rest for the Blues star until at least mid-June.
Fortunately, Didier Deschamps has taken the rare decision to protect Kante, with RMC Sport reporting the two-time Premier League title winner has not been included in the 23-man squad for France's game against Croatia in Split. Kante will instead be in the stands.
It's a wise choice from Deschamps, especially as Kante completed 90 minutes against Denmark last Friday. There should be no risks taken with the midfielder's fitness, no extra stress placed on his body. Chelsea need Kante to return to pre-season fully fit and sharp, only then will Tuchel reap the benefits in 2022/23.