Thomas Tuchel has revealed that N’Golo Kante’s injury is nothing serious and he will be available for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup clash against Southampton on Tuesday. To the surprise of many, Kante did not feature in the matchday squad for Chelsea’s 7-0 thrashing of Norwich on Saturday, leading to speculation that the midfielder had picked up a serious injury ahead of the game. But post-match, Tuchel told football.london that all was well and he fully expects Kante to play in the Blues’ upcoming fixtures.
Thomas Tuchel said: “The [Norwich] game was too early. He did the full training on Friday. After training he said he feels his muscles tight. No injury, full training. He went to the physios for massages and some treatment, and he actually wanted to wait until Saturday in the morning to make the decision and I said no. It is such an early game, the possibility that it will change is not so high, take your time. It was simply one day too early. If the match had been on Sunday, he would have played so he’s fully available for Tuesday and Newcastle.”
The French World Cup winner has had a torrid time with injuries and illness of late, and as a result has already missed six games for the Blues this season. Nevertheless, Kante remains a vital part of Tuchel’s plans, and if the German head coach’s words are anything to go by, the 30-year-old will be starting the cup tie against the Saints as well as the subsequent Premier League fixture away to Newcastle United.
