Southampton manager Claude Puel has claimed that Oriol Romeu is "not far off" the quality of newly-crowned PFA Player of the Year N'Golo Kante.
Kante has starred in back-to-back Premier League campaigns since moving to England, playing a huge role in Leicester's title-winning season last term and helping Chelsea to the top of the table this time around.
Romeu carries out a similar role in the Southampton team and, having now served a two-match suspension, the 25-year-old is free to return when the Saints take on Kante's Chelsea on Tuesday night.
"I think he's not far off Kante. 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 told reporters.
"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. We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain, for example.
"[Chelsea] 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."
Romeu joined Southampton from Chelsea, where he played just 33 matches across all competitions.
Barney Corkhill
