Deschamps additionally holding N’Golo Kanté health issues in thoughts, kind of

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I admit the thought had crossed my mind, and a couple of times it did. Could N’Golo Kanté be on the downside? His performances over the past few years have not been as consistently great as they have been in previous seasons, at least that seemed to be widely accepted.

Of course we knew that injuries played a key role on this track. The all-important midfielder couldn’t really stay healthy for very long and struggled up and down his previously infallible and tireless soccer machine with various small problems. An Achilles tendon here, an ankle there, a couple of injured ribs, or even a heart attack thrown in for good measure. Injuries like Old McDonald’s growing them on his farm. A knock here, a knock there, a knock everywhere.

And when he managed to get himself back into good shape, the temptation was too great not to overdo it. And so the cycle went on.

Like those before him, Thomas Tuchel recognized this pattern and vowed to break it. So far he has stayed true to his word and has used Kanté strategically and with fantastic effect against Atlético Madrid. The now 29-year-old has only started six of the twelve games since his last injury and never more than two in a row.

Now it’s the turn of France coach Didier Deschamp as we still have internationals for some reason. He has teamed up with previous Chelsea managers over similar issues. Has he learned his lesson yet?

“[Kanté] is used to playing at a very high level, he doesn’t save himself. I’m not unhappy if Tuchel doesn’t start him every game. But it’s all about communication. Players cannot arrive from their club in ideal shape and then return in better shape.

“The opposite is also possible. Kanté is more about physical problems that have existed for several seasons. He doesn’t save himself, but he’s like that, I won’t change it. With a little experience he learns to deal with himself. “

-Didier Deschamps; Source: target

Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like that. Deschamps may see the problem, and he certainly does, but he still leaves the temptation open by letting N’Golo “manage himself”. Players will want to play when they shouldn’t. Sometimes you have to choose them – to manage them, if you will.

With three games in the two-week international break instead of the usual two, this becomes an even bigger problem than usual. France will play World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next eight days. You don’t need Kanté for all three. And even if it does, we hope that at some point you will give him a little breather.