After Eden Hazard, N'Golo Kante is probably the only other Chelsea player who can claim to belong to the bracket of world-class. There are few midfielders in world football, if any, who can offer their team the same level of work-rate, dynamism and defensive anticipation in the middle of the park, making the former Leicester City man an exceptionally rare breed.

Accordingly, Kante is one of the first names on Antonio Conte's teamsheet, especially in a 3-4-3 formation that requires his ability to provide the energy of two men in the engine room. But finding the best partner for the France international has proved a far more contentious issue; Chelsea have signed three central midfielders in the last two transfer windows to add to what they already had, yet the debate over which one is the best fit next to Kante continues to divide opinion.

Football FanCast take a look at the options...

Solution A - Danny Drinkwater

Perhaps Chelsea paid a little over the odds to sign Drinkwater in the summer but the England international could prove worth his weight in gold if he rekindles his title-winning partnership with Kante from their Leicester City days. The dynamics of the side are markedly different at Stamford Bridge but the two already have a strong understanding of each other's games and how to get the best of themselves as a midfield partnership.

That being said, Drinkwater is a sturdy if largely unspectacular talent and his stuttered performance against Manchester United on Sunday raised the most obvious concern - against high-quality opposition, he struggles to have a telling impact on the match and can oft appear out of his depth.

Solution B - Tiemoue Bakayoko

Chelsea spent a sizeable sum bringing Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea from Monaco but the France international has continually struggled during his first campaign in the Premier League. The 23-year-old's passing game has lacked the necessary consistency and poor positional discipline has left Chelsea's engine room glaringly open at times, creating a widespread argument that the powerhouse isn't quite fit for purpose.

But that could well change next season after Bakayoko's had a year to settle in west London and the Frenchman's enormous potential shouldn't be overlooked. He was a devastating presence at Monaco last season and his combination of physicality and dribbling ability, echoing shades of Paul Pogba, would seemingly suit a two-man midfield perfectly - providing the dynamism alongside Kante to surge forward on the break and support Chelsea counter-attacks, while providing presence defensively too.

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Solution C - Cesc Fabregas

Perhaps the best option at this moment in time, Cesc Fabregas remains one of English football's leading pass-masters and Chelsea always seem to make much better use of possession when the Spaniard is on the pitch. He's unquestionably the Blues' best at launching passes to bring the likes of Hazard and Willian into the game and injects vital experience into a Chelsea team that appears to be transitioning between two generations at this moment in time.

However, Fabregas remains suspect defensively and his lack of physicality has been a problem in big games, especially when Chelsea aren't receiving much of the ball like in their 1-1 draw with Barcelona last week when the former Nou Camp star was exceptionally quiet. He lacks the legs to get up and down the pitch and at 30 years of age, that will only become more of an issue during the next few seasons.

Solution D - Ross Barkley

Chelsea signed Ross Barkley in January but his role in the team still isn't quite clear. During the England international's brief outings for the Blues so far, he's been fielded as part of the attack rather than the midfield, but it's often been said the 24-year-old will fully flourish when he masters a slightly deeper role that allows him to break forward from the engine room.

Once again though, we're talking about an offensive-minded player who lacks natural positional discipline and that can prove incredibly costly when there are just two men in midfield, even with an extra centre-back able to support from behind. Furthermore, while Barkley remains more athletic and dynamic than Fabregas, the Spaniard surely outweighs him in terms of creativity and technical quality.

Solution E - David Luiz

A slightly out-of-the-box solution but some of David Luiz's best performances for Chelsea during his first spell at the club came as a defensive midfielder. It's a role that best showcases his natural height and athleticism, as well as his eagerness to play out of the back with ambitious ranging passes and daring shots at goal from distance, while covering up his often suspect positioning and proneness to defensive errors. Putting him alongside Kante would certainly increase Chelsea's robustness in the middle of the park, providing them with a similar kind of presence to Nemanja Matic last season.

Luiz - who Transfermarkt value at £25.2million - isn't as quick and athletic as he once was at the age of 30, however, and while his technical ability has always been exceptional for a defender, it's much more modest when compared to natural defensive midfielders who base their entire games around perfect passing. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to this solution, though, is the practicalities of the situation - it's clear Antonio Conte and the towering Brazilian are still at odds right now.

So, Chelsea fans, which midfielder should be Kante's midfield partner? Let us know by voting below...