Chelsea star Thiago Silva admits that he loves to play with a star like N'Golo Kante.

The French midfielder has been a big absence for the Blues this season.

As Kante continues his road to full fitness, Silva was asked about the diminutive all-action midfielder in a press conference.

He told reporters: "It's not easy for a player like N'Golo to have an injury at an important time of the season. For him to recover, be back and be a protagonist is not easy at all.

“I am very happy to have had the opportunity to meet and play with him. He is a special person, rather unique. Probably nobody else in the world is maybe like him.

“So for sure, he is going through a difficult period, and I wish him the best to recover as soon as possible. With Kante, we will be much stronger as we used to be when he was with us."