Moussa Sissoko has urged Tottenham club-mate Tanguy Ndombele to take inspiration from N’Golo Kante ahead of Sunday’s crunch derby against Chelsea.

Ndombele could face Kante at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs’s record signing vying to return to the side after missing three matches with a groin strain.

The midfielder has so far struggled to remain fit since arriving from Lyon for £65million in the summer, only ­showing flashes of his quality. Sissoko, who has taken Ndombele under his wing, says the 22-year-old has the perfect role model in their France team-mate Kante.

“They’re playing in the same position and you have to learn from one of the best players in the world,” Sissoko told Standard Sport on a visit to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

“We know the quality of Kante and Tanguy has a lot of quality, too. But he’s still young, he still needs to improve. He will learn a lot. He can be inspired by a player like Kante. It depends on him but he’s trying his best in training every day and he gets better and better every day.

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“We have to deal with [Kante] and try to be better than them [Chelsea]. We know his capacity, so someone like me has to play on my qualities and try to beat them and him. During the game, he’s no friend. It will be a massive game for both teams.”

Sissoko describes Ndombele as “my little brother” and revealed he has taken on a number of roles in his team-mate’s life, from English teacher to estate agent.

“Tanguy’s living by my house,” Sissoko said. “I’m trying to help him, give him some advice. Even with his English, because he doesn’t speak English very well. When you move ­countries and you don’t speak the language, you’re alone, it’s not easy. But we’re here to help him and he’s doing well.

“I’ve been with him while he’s looking for a house, helping him to speak with people, buy stuff, telling him which places he can and cannot go. He’s a young player and he needs someone close to him who can help him.”

Spurs can leapfrog Chelsea into the top four with a win on Sunday, following a nine-point swing in their favour since Jose Mourinho’s arrival last month.

Sissoko has quickly become a mainstay in Mourinho’s side, continuing where he left off under Mauricio Pochettino, and the 30-year-old will likely continue in a midfield two alongside Eric Dier against the Portuguese’s former club, assuming Ndombele is not risked from the start.

Sissoko’s turnaround in form was underlined in September, when he was rewarded with a new deal until 2023, tying him down beyond his 34th birthday, and he believes his own recovery can also inspire Ndombele. “I was proud to be given a new contract, especially because of how it was for me at the beginning at Spurs,” Sissoko said.

“That means I deserve it because of my work. I stayed focused, I never gave up and that’s why the new contract came. When you get to 30, maybe it’s not what Tottenham [usually] do, so I can only be happy. I’m a good example [for Tanguy].

“If this kind of [difficult] situation happens with Tanguy, I will tell him to follow the same way. But at the moment there’s no reason to worry. He’s focused only on his work. He has a lot of injuries since he came but he’s doing well and this week he’s back with us [in training].

“He reminds me of myself because when I came to England with Newcastle I couldn’t speak any English and it wasn’t easy.”

Sissoko is particularly conscious of the perception of Ndombele because he has witnessed the negative coverage of another of his France team-mates, Paul Pogba, and experienced it himself while at Newcastle and early on with Spurs.

“I see the stories about [Pogba] in the newspaper or on TV,” Sissoko said. “I wouldn’t say I’m shocked but the way I know him is totally different [to that].

“This kind [of thing] happened to me as well. Sometimes people only see what ­happens on the pitch. Maybe you’re not playing well. That doesn’t mean you’re not trying to give everything.

“Sometimes you give everything and nothing works. Sometimes it’s because something has happened in your private life, so you’re not well.

“The thing to do is be yourself, stay focused on yourself, try to ignore what people are saying. The most important thing is having the confidence of your team-mates, the manager and the staff. So keep working and your quality will come back. That’s the only way to ­success again.”

Moussa Sissoko was speaking at Princess Alexandra Hospital, the last of five hospitals visited by Tottenham players to give out Christmas presents on behalf of the club.