Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has claimed that it is the wrong time for comparisons to be made between himself and N'Golo Kante.
This season, Kante has helped Chelsea regain the Premier League title and his role in midfield has been likened to that of Makelele, who gained a reputation for his role in front of the defence.
However, Makelele - now an assistant at Swansea City - has described comparisons as "bad", insisting that Kante must first deal with playing on the European stage.
He told Reuters: "At the moment Kante is special and one of the best midfielders. The problem is, I played 25 years in football at this level and comparisons are being made in a bad way.
"This season he did not play in the Champions League. Every four days there will be games. With the national team there will be games. There will be a lot of games. He needs to get that experience."
Kante has made 80 appearances in all competitions over the past two seasons, but he could face in excess of 50 games during the next campaign if Chelsea enjoy success in the Champions League and domestic cup competitions.