Tuchel hails 'superman' Kante amid injury struggles

N'Golo Kante has started only 25 of Thomas Tuchel's 53 games as Chelsea boss, but the Chelsea manager insisted that the 30-year-old midfielder was not slowing down with age, calling him "superman".

Published : Dec 08, 2021 15:16 IST

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praises N'Golo Kante (in pic) and calls him superman.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praises N'Golo Kante (in pic) and calls him superman.
lightbox-info

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praises N'Golo Kante (in pic) and calls him superman.

N'Golo Kante has started only 25 of Thomas Tuchel's 53 games as Chelsea boss, but the Chelsea manager insisted that the 30-year-old midfielder was not slowing down with age, calling him "superman".

Kante has already missed games due to COVID-19 and a groin injury this season and has failed to feature in Chelsea's squad since injuring his knee in a 4-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League in November.

"We don't have the feeling that it is about age (and) he takes longer. He is, in general, a careful person, he takes care of his body and doesn't take risks," Tuchel told reporters ahead of Chelsea's midweek fixture against Zenit St Petersburg.

 

"I think he is superman. He is the guy who makes the difference, the guy everybody in the whole world wants in his midfield."

Tuchel added that Kante's recent struggles with fitness were down to accidents, and not indicative of a more serious issue.

"We built him up after his last injury. We had an accident, this can happen," Tuchel said. "This is not related to age or to overload, simply an accident during the match. Of course, we miss him a lot."

Chelsea has qualified for the Champions League's knockout stages and is tied on 12 points with Juventus at the top of Group H.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment