"Clear that we need them" - Antonio Rudiger feels 'lively' Chelsea duo remain crucial after draw against Wolves
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger reiterated the importance of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic after the midfield duo's impressive performance in the Blues' 0-0 draw with Wolves on Sunday.
N'Golo Kante missed four Premier League games due to injury before being named in Chelsea's squad in their 1-1 draw with Everton in midweek.
Kovacic, on the other hand, had been ruled out of action due to injury and Covid-19 since late October before being brought on as a second-half substitute against Wolves.
Kante and Kovacic were expected to be eased back into action by Thomas Tuchel. However, the Chelsea boss was forced to play the midfield duo against Bruno Lage's side due to the ongoing injury and Covid-19 crisis at the club.
Rudiger praised Kante and Kovacic for the energy and quality they added to Chelsea's midfield at the Molineux Stadium and stressed their importance to the squad.
"It's not easy for him [N'Golo Kante], he has been out for a number of time. The same for Kova, They can in and were lively. That is very important for us because it is clear that we need them," said Rudiger via Chelsea's website.
Chelsea's poor run of form in the Premier League continued as they dropped two points against Wolves. They have won just two of their last six games in the league.
Romelu Lukaku, Ben Chilwell, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Timo Werner tested Covid-19 positive last week, while Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were ruled out for the game against Wolves due to injury.
The Blues struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities against Wolves, but managed to keep a much-needed clean sheet.
Chelsea boasted one of the strongest defenses in the opening stages of the season, but had conceded 10 goals in six games prior to their clash with Bruno Lage's side.
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Chelsea will depend on their fringe players to produce the goods in the coming weeks
Chelsea's strength in depth within their squad made them one of the favorites to win the Premier League at the start of the 2021-22 season.
The current injury and Covid-19 crisis at Stamford Bridge will force Thomas Tuchel to give chances to fringe players, including the likes of Saul Niguez, Marcos Alonso, and Ross Barkley.
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Chelsea will need them to perform in the coming weeks if they are to keep pace with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League title race.