Chelsea star N’Golo Kante could reportedly miss the next five games due to the injury he picked up at the weekend.
Kante, 31, was forced off with a hamstring problem during the closing stages of Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at home to Tottenham.
Blues manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed in his post-match comments the midfielder felt a strong impact on his hamstring.
According to L’Equipe, Chelsea’s central midfielder will undergo an MRI today to get a definitive timeframe on the injury.
However, the report suggests he will be unavailable for a few weeks and is “unlikely” to play before 11 September.
If true, Kante could miss five games in total during a very busy start to the season. It would mean he’s unavailable against Leeds United, Leicester City, Southampton, West Ham and Fulham.
N’Golo Kante injury
Kante, who BBC pundit Matt Upson described as “brilliant” against Spurs, really caught the eye during 85 minutes on the weekend.
Unfortunately, it looks like he’s due yet another small period of time on the sidelines.
The top-class midfielder has seen injuries creep into his game in the last few years, which is a real shame for someone with his individual ability.
L’Equipe’s report suggests he may not be available to play for Chelsea again until 18 September when they host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the league.
Chelsea now know they can no longer rely on Kante to be fit for an entire 38-game league season, so it’s imperative there’s quality depth in his area of the pitch.
Conor Gallagher, 22, could end up being the biggest beneficiary from Kante’s imminent absence.
There’s not many that can match the kind of energy and tenacity he showed at the weekend against Spurs, but exciting youngster Gallagher does have plenty of similarities when it comes to his work rate and pressing.
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