Chelsea midfielder N’golo Kante will not be rushed back into action from injury according to Chelsea boss Frank Lampard. Kante missed Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Brighton with a hamstring injury and is a doubt for Chelsea’s midweek Champions League clash against Lille.
The French International has missed large parts of the season with recurring injuries but played in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat against table-toppers Liverpool, scoring Chelsea’s only goal with a wonderful long-range strike.
Chelsea boss Lampard, however, is determined to get Kante back to full fitness and won’t rush him back into action.
He said: ‘My feeling is that he has played a lot and that’s because he has been so successful and so important to the teams he has been in. At the minute, he has injuries.
‘This little niggle he had is a small, small injury. We just need to get it right. We are just careful and it is my duty to work with him. The medical team is working so hard with him.
Kante’s injury problems started when he played through last season’s Europa League final against Arsenal with an injury.
‘I have been there as a player and, if you miss a pre-season through an injury in particular, then you are playing catch-up.
At the moment he is playing catch-up and that’s no fault of his own. He has played four seasons now full-on, game after game with international tournaments.
‘So, it is right to be a bit careful. Let’s be happy. We got a result here, we are doing okay. With N’Golo, when we do get him to where we want him to be, we will be stronger with him.’
Defender Antonio Rudiger is another doubt for Chelsea’s midweek game. With Kante out Lampard is likely to go with Kovacic and Jorginho at the base of the midfield as he has done mostly this season.
