Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante fears that he could face a month sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, it has been revealed.
Kante was a bright spark for the Blues in midfield, playing at high intensity as the Blues were unlucky to drop points at home to rivals Spurs.
Kalidou Koulibaly opened the scoring before Spurs equalised in controversial fashion, with it believed that Kai Havertz was fouled in the build-up and Richarlison appeared to be in an offside position, obstructing Edouard Mendy for the goal.
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Reece James put Thomas Tuchel’s side back ahead with 15 minutes to go, but Harry Kane equalised with the last kick of the match after VAR refused to dismiss Cristian Romero for a hair pull on Marc Cucurella, with the game ending 2-2.
Kante was not on the field for the final goal, having pulled up with a hamstring injury when Chelsea were breaking away in the 84th minute.
Chelsea are yet to provide an update regarding the midfielder’s injury, with it thought to be unclear as to when he would return.
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However, it has now been reported the extent of Kante’s injury as it looks like he could miss up to a month of football, dealing Chelsea a blow.
According to Matt Law of The Telegraph, Kante will get a clearer picture of the length he will miss after he receives the results of an MRI scan.
However, the 31-year-old is concerned that he will miss at least three to four weeks, ruling him out of Chelsea’s next five matches in the Premier League as they look to start strong.
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This could see him return for Chelsea’s clash against Liverpool in September.
This news means that the injury may not be as bad as it could have been, but Chelsea are currently short in midfield as Mateo Kovacic was sidelined on the weekend with a knee injury.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was utilised in a wing-back role, while Conor Gallagher made an appearance from the bench.
The injury to Kante could open up a place in the squad for new signing Carney Chukwuemeka, who saw game time limited during his time at Aston Villa.
Chelsea have been linked with Inter Milan midfielder Cesare Casadei and have agreed personal terms, with the Italian perhaps providing cover if he arrives this week.
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The likes of Billy Gilmour and Ethan Ampadu remain Chelsea players despite not featuring in the matchday squad for Tuchel yet this season, and could be called up for their clash against Leeds United if Kovacic and Kante are both sidelined.
Frenkie de Jong has also been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, but his stance on the move remains unclear.
With the transfer window remaining open, the Blues could still dip into the market if Kante's injury is worse than initially feared.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, NGolo Kante, Football