N’Golo Kante may be Chelsea FC’s most important, and best talented overall player on the roster. Especially so after the departure of Eden Hazard. However, he’s struggled for playing time this season, the first campaign of the Frank Lampard era, due to a series of nagging injuries. The Blues have been alright for the most part though, as they have a lot of depth in midfield, and plenty of talented, young up-and-comers.
The 2016-17 PFA Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season is currently on international duty with France, and he picked up another injury during training. However, it’s not serious, and he may even see action Monday night for the world champions, when they take on Turkey.
He was a late scratch in France’s 1-0 Euro qualifying win over Iceland.
“He felt a pain in the adductor muscle,” said France national team manager Didier Deschamps after the match.
“He had a feeling where he did not feel comfortable to play. I made the decision [to pull him from the squad], because maybe it could get even worse.”
The 28-year-old Parisian should be available when Chelsea host Newcastle United a week from today, and if so, would provide a big boost for the fifth place Blues.
“I do not think it’s too serious for NG, but I do not have an answer tonight,” Deschamps said of the stellar holding midfielder.
He then even made a little joke about his team selection process, and Lampard’s.
“Lampard asked me not to pick Kante at the last rally,” Deschamps mused.
“If it’s still that way, maybe I’ll call him later to tell him it would be nice if you play Olivier Giroud a little bit.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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