Kevin de Bruyne
Kevin de Bruyne has only received three appearances in the league for Chelsea this season.

Kevin de Bruyne and Mousa Dembele have been warned by Belgian coach Marc Wilmots that they need to increase their game time for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur respectively if they hope to win a place in the squad for the World Cup finals in Brazil next summer.

With the World Cup now just seven months away players are looking at the January transfer window as their last chance to make a move to a club where they can prove themselves for selection.

Both De Bruyne and Dembele have recently been linked with exits from Chelsea and Tottenham in the winter and Wilmots has given a stern warning to the pair as they continue to struggle for game time.

"We first have to settle the problem that players play for their club," Wilmots said, according to the Mail. "December and January will be important even though I have little impact on it.

"We will be dependent on the choice of players, who have to play for their club to get match rhythm," he continued. "Otherwise life would be too good to be true.

"The rhythm of a couple of players that no longer play (regularly) - with two matches in five days that is immediately obvious.

"We have quality, but quality needs match rhythm. You need matches, minutes of play. If you don't play, and sit in the stands, it becomes difficult."

De Bruyne joined Chelsea from Belgian side Genk in the January of 2012 but was immediately sent back on loan, prior to joining to Werder Bremen on a season long loan last season. His future came into question as Jose Mourinho took the managerial post at the club but despite the Portuguese boss insisting there is a place for the 22-year-old he has featured just three times in the league this season.

A January loan spell has been touted as a possibility for the promising midfielder but De Bruyne insists that Chelsea will be the ones to decide if leaving the club for the remainder of the season is the right move.

Meanwhile in Dembele's case, the 26-year-old has been featuring much more for Tottenham but has been public about his frustrations at not receiving regular 90 minute appearance as Andre Villas-Boas remains unsure over his best starting XI.

"The coach has explained that he makes a tactical choice, he wants more defensive players in midfield," he said. "I can't be satisfied with it, of course, I just want to play as many games."

Napoli have been linked with a move for the midfielder but whether Spurs will part with him remains to be seen.