Former Chelsea midfielder Ray Wilkins has claimed that Blues boss Antonio Conte 'cannot afford' to let Cesc Fabregas leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.

Fabregas, 30, has scored four times and registered nine assists in the Premier League this season, despite the fact that he has only started 10 league games under Conte.

The form of Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante has seen Fabregas struggle to gain a regular spot in the Chelsea XI, and the Spain international has been strongly linked with a move away from the league leaders this summer.

Wilkins, however, who represented Chelsea between 1973 and 1979, has called on Conte to ensure that the experienced midfielder remains at the club for the 2017-18 campaign.

"You'll be playing in the Champions League next year and you need that craft, you need that experience of someone like Cesc," Wilkins told Premier League Daily.

"I can understand Antonio Conte's selection when he picks Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante in front of a back five. But with Cesc, it's just job satisfaction and he loves to play football. You can see that when he plays. He's always trying to get on the ball.

"It's not a money issue - he just wants to play. He will get that opportunity next year, I just hope he has the patience. For Chelsea to progress to the latter stages of competitions next year, they're going to need the guile and craft I feel only he possesses at Chelsea. You can't let him go."

Fabregas joined Chelsea from Barcelona in the summer of 2014.