Ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair is of the opinion that it is extremely vital for the Blues to boss the midfield battle against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Antonio Conte’s team, who will head into the game on Merseyside on the back of a 4-0 win over Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday night, played in a 3-4-3 system in Azerbaijan.
Chelsea’s dependable defensive midfielder N'Golo Kante has struggled with a thigh injury in the present campaign, but the Frenchman has played in the club’s last three games in all competitions.
And Sinclair feels even though Kante is now back, he would not be surprised to see Chelsea play an additional midfielder at Liverpool in order to control the middle of the park.
“You've got to control that middle of the park because if you don't do that they've got some top players that will”, Sinclair said on Chelsea TV.
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“So I wouldn't be surprised if we went with that extra body in there [midfield] even though Kante's back.”
Liverpool drew 3-3 with Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite taking a three-goal lead into the half-time break at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
As a result, Sinclair feels either Liverpool will show a reaction to the bitter disappointment or they will still dwell on the draw in Spain, ahead of the Premier League clash at Anfield.
“There will be two Liverpools that can possibly turn up for this game at the weekend”, he continued.
“They will either show a reaction to the disappointment and really be up for it, or they might have a hangover from the disappointment of that game.”
