Now a couple of Chelsea stars look like the World Cup is out of their reach. Both have injuries that will not allow them to return to full fitness for the competition.
French international N’Golo Kante will miss the upcoming World Cup due to a hamstring injury. Athletic claim that Chelsea’s star midfielder suffered the setback in training and he is expected to be sidelined for around three months. The World Cup starts in just over a month.
Kante previously injured his hamstring during a draw against Tottenham Hotspur in August. The 31-year-old midfielder has not appeared since. However, it appears that Kante recently re-injured his hamstring while he was trying to get back in shape.
The Frenchman has made 53 appearances for his country and was a vital part of France’s 2018 World Cup triumph.
To make matters worse for Chelsea, head coach Graham Potter also claimed that Reece James will soon see a specialist for his injured knee. “Reece is due to see a specialist over the weekend, so until we get that information, there’s not much more she can add,” Potter stated.
Asked if his right-back could also miss the World Cup, Potter urged caution about the situation. “We have to review the discomfort and see a specialist,” the technician continued.
Chelsea players are not healthy enough for the World Cup
“Yesterday he didn’t feel too bad, but until you check these things, we’ll never know. There is no point in looking at the doomsday scenario just yet. We need to verify and then move on.”
James injured his knee during his team’s 2-0 victory against AC Milan on Tuesday. The English international was substituted in the 62nd minute due to the incident.
Potter also recognized that missing out on a massive tournament like the World Cup would be demoralizing for his players. “If something happens like [missing the World Cup]They’re going to be disappointed,” Potter proclaimed. “They are human beings and they want to go.”
“It’s about dealing with discomfort and we’ll help them with that. I can’t think of anything in my career that compares to missing the World Cup.”
