No matter what tactics Antonio Conte decides to use at Chelsea, nothing can compensate for N’Golo Kante’s absence.
Conte blamed his decision to start with a 3-5-2 formation for their unconvincing display against Roma, who dominated for long periods on Wednesday.
But they had also struggled just four days earlier, this time in Conte’s favoured 3-4-2-1 system, as bottom club Crystal Palace secured a shock 2-1 victory in the Premier League.
In both games, Kante was watching from the sidelines because of a hamstring injury and his return cannot come soon enough for Chelsea.
Should Chelsea fans decide to take a vote on the player they cannot afford to be without the most, the France international would surely challenge Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata for top spot.
Granted he was on the pitch when Conte’s side were beaten by both Burnley and Manchester City earlier in the season but the Blues have simply looked lost in their past two matches.
Kante, 26, is the vital cog between defence and attack. He provides protection for the defence and often kickstarts Chelsea’s breaks on the counter. Conte has no one else in the squad capable of fulfilling such a role to the same high standard.
As Cesar Azpilicueta told Standard Sport: “N’Golo is a big miss, he is one of the best in his position.
“But we are a team and during the season you have to face different problems. N’Golo is out of the team and we have to try to find the solution, to solve the problem.
“Without him in the last few games we are conceding a lot but it is the responsibility of the whole team.
“We win and lose together as a team and obviously we will try to find the solution as a unit.”
Former Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri remarked that having Kante in the first XI during his 12-month spell at the King Power Stadium was like having two players.
Hazard joked after a Chelsea game last season that it is like playing with twins. Both teams, of course, won the title with Kante in the side.
Conte revealed last week that the hamstring problem is likely to rule the influential midfielder out until after the next international break, which is another five games.
The Chelsea coach will obviously try to come up with a remedy but it is no easy task, given Kante ensures the team are balanced.
Firstly, Conte must hope that David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko are fit to face Watford on Saturday after picking up calf and groin injuries respectively against Roma.
Both were in a three-man midfield alongside Cesc Fabregas on Tuesday and each player showed positives and negatives in equal measure.
Luiz, who scored the opening goal, could not be criticised for a lack of effort and his passing game was assured. Yet the Brazilian was also guilty of giving away a number of free kicks and fortunate not to be booked before being substituted.
Bakayoko is adapting to life at Chelsea. There are times he appears to dominate and break up play, others where he is too easily brushed off the ball and fails to track back.
As for Fabregas, his lack of pace is a major weakness defensively and Roma were able to bypass him with ease time and again. Yet along with Hazard, the Spaniard is Chelsea’s best creative source.
With Danny Drinkwater still out through injury, Conte will have to continue to rely on these three, although one suspects that after the Roma display Conte will go back to using two central midfielders in a 3-4-2-1.
The former Juventus coach needs a victory to alleviate the pressure starting to build on his shoulders.
A run of three games without a win can be downplayed by most clubs but at Chelsea it causes frowns in the boardroom.
The 48-year-old is increasingly showing the strain. The moans about the size of Chelsea’s squad which dominated his pre-season mantra have returned.
Also, he reacted tetchily to comments made by Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho about managers ‘crying’ over injured players.
It had to be assumed Mourinho’s barb was aimed at Conte — the latter certainly thought so after being asked about it following the draw against Roma.
“He has to think about his team and start looking at himself, not others,” Conte said. “I think that a lot of time Mourinho has to see what happened at Chelsea. A lot of time, also last season.”
Conte has enough problems right now without getting involved in an unnecessary war or words with the former Chelsea coach. This, however, was exactly the kind of reaction Mourinho wanted and perhaps there will now be more to come before Chelsea host Manchester United on November 5.
At least Hazard’s first two goals of the season ensured Chelsea remain two points clear at the top of their Champions League group with three games remaining.
Chelsea travel to the Italian capital in a fortnight to face Roma again and Hazard said: “I think if we want to finish the job we need to win there. We know what we need to do.
“We want to finish the group stage as soon as possible and be the first team to qualify.”
It will be no easy task without Kante.