The Chelsea injury list pile up took another hit on Wednesday with an update on the injury to N’Golo Kante. He was substituted less than 15 minutes into the match against Manchester United on Monday.
The World Cup winner reportedly suffered a grade two tear in his groin and the club expect Kante to miss three weeks. At the most inopportune time, this leaves the Blues thin in midfield which a hectic and challenging upcoming schedule.
N’Golo Kante Injury Setback Comes at Bad Time for Chelsea
Injury-Riddled Year for N’Golo Kante
Kante has suffered several setbacks this year already, with his new groin injury just adding insult to the injuries. The Frenchman has only started 16 of Chelsea’s 26 Premier League games this season, coming on as a substitute in two others. In the Champions League, he started and played only three group stage matches.
Even when Kante has played, he has been far from his best. Under Frank Lampard, he has continued to play an advanced box-to-box role as he did under Maurizio Sarri last year, but playing out of position is not the reason for his drop off to such a large degree.
He hasn’t even been the best midfielder in the squad as he was last year when he was also playing out of position.
Instead, with having injured his ankle and knee already this year, and now his groin, clearly Kante isn’t fit. He has most likely been rushed back to the pitch, exacerbating the problem.
Kante wouldn’t be the first Chelsea player to come back from injury and re-injure themselves on their return. Both Antonio Rudiger and Emerson have suffered those fates.
On more than one occasion this season, so has Kante. The problem, though, is Chelsea’s upcoming schedule.
Upcoming Schedule
The Blues have been on a torrid run, winning only one of their last six Premier League games. It doesn’t get easier for them, with Tottenham Hotspur visiting Stamford Bridge this Saturday. Beyond a heated rivalry, Spurs sit only one point behind Chelsea in the table. Without Kante’s ball-winning ability and knack for breaking up counter-attacks, Spurs may hold the advantage on the match and the chase for Champions League qualification.
Then, Chelsea must face German giants Bayern Munich over two legs in the last 16 of the Champions League. Already an uphill battle, Kante’s absence significantly hurts Chelsea’s chances of stopping the potent Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman in attack.
Not long after that, Lampard and his boys host Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round. While Kante likely wouldn’t have played that match anyway, he would have been an option, without a doubt.
Then comes the stretch run of the season with league matches against Everton, Manchester City, Liverpool, Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, all in contention for European places and Kante won’t be there to shore up the midfield and defence if needed.
Impact
Chelsea are already without Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi and even Ruben Loftus-Cheek if you want to include him. Goals have not come easily because of all the injuries of late. And now, one of the best defensive shields in the world is out injured again.
Chelsea are in contention for three trophies still. Well, two really. No alternate reality in which Chelsea win the league this season exists. That leaves two plus an auxiliary trophy: Champions League qualification.
However, the injury list is piling up, and with N’Golo Kante now one topping it, Chelsea could find themselves out of luck on all three fronts before he is even back to full training.
Main Photo
