Chelsea are sweating over the fitness of star midfielder N’Golo Kante after he went off with a thigh injury in France’s win over Bulgaria last night.
The 26-year-old was replaced in the 33rd minute of action last night, with Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps confirming the blow afterwards.
‘It’s a muscular problem behind the thigh. It is fixed for Tuesday,’ Deschamps told reporters afterwards, per the Metro.
READ MORE
Chelsea news
PSG ace urges club to sign Chelsea star
Chelsea legend explains the key area where Blues summer signing has improved most
Chelsea are already without deadline day signing Danny Drinkwater who is currently out of action with a calf injury. Combined with the emerging fears over Kante’s fitness, this could cause a serious selection headache for Antonio Conte.
To make matters worse, Alvaro Morata is currently a doubt following an injury he picked up during Chelsea’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to title rivals Man City. The Spanish forward has already been involved in eight Premier League goals for Chelsea this season (scoring six and assisting two) and will be another devastating blow for the club if he is out for a prolonged period.
Kante’s injury could be one of the biggest blows of all, however, with the Frenchman proving pivotal to the Blues’ success since joining from Leicester City last summer.
The two-time Premier League champion’s tough tackling and energy are vital to how Chelsea play under Conte, and his fine form saw him crowned PFA Player of the Year last season.
Chelsea travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday to face Crystal Palace who are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League after failing to pick up a single point during this season’s campaign. However, with such concerning injury doubts the weekend clash could be far trickier than expected.