Monday 24 April 2017 15:41, UK
Southampton manager Claude Puel has compared Oriol Romeu to PFA Player of the Year N'Golo Kante ahead of the Saints' trip to Chelsea.
Romeu returns from suspension to take on his former side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, live on Sky Sports.
The Spaniard will be up against Kante, voted by his peers as English football's best player this season, and Saints boss Puel believes Romeu is approaching the same standard.
"I think he's not far off Kante," Puel said at his pre-match press conference. "He is very important for us. He recovers the ball so well and is a technical player.
"If we see the quality of his games since the beginning of the season, N'Golo Kante brings the same qualities as Oriol for us because he's very consistent and in every game he gives good performances, with consistency and quality.
"He's an important player for this team because he can do fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play. Without Kante for Chelsea it's difficult and the same with Romeu, it's difficult for us without him."
Romeu, capped at youth level, is yet to make his full Spain debut, but Puel said: "We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain."
Chelsea go into Tuesday's game with a four-point lead at the top, and Puel said: "They are a fantastic team that want to win the title, but for us as well it is important to take points.
"I am confident with my players. They work very well in training. It's important to play our game and enjoy it.
"The best team in the Premier League is the one with the most consistency and, for the moment, that is Chelsea."
