Chelsea have allowed midfielder N’Golo Kante to miss Wednesday’s training session, as reported The Telegraph. For the time being, the Frenchman will train from home.
Chelsea Grant N’Golo Kante Permission To Skip Team Training
Project Restart Hygiene Protocol
Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, returned to non-contact training Tuesday after nearly two months off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Upon returning, the league has implemented strict protocol regarding hygiene that clubs must follow.
Clubs must sanitise footballs, nets, corner flags, and even pitches after each use. Sessions are limited to 75 minutes at a time with a maximum of five players training together at a time. And Premier League Director Of Football Richard Garlick added that inspectors will make sure clubs comply with the protocol at their training grounds. Still, these precautions have not satisfied Kante.
Kante’s Concerns
Kante did in fact train at Cobham Tuesday, the club’s first day back. However, he remains unconvinced about his health and safety. And because of that, he requested compassionate leave from Chelsea.
The club, of course, granted it. The Guardian reported that manager Frank Lampard also gave his consent to the midfielder.
Kante’s fears about returning to training stem from, and this is speculation, his own individual health scares, along with those of family members.
Two years ago, Kante passed out in the dressing room at Cobham after a training session with no explanation. The club doctors examined him and could not pinpoint a specific reason for the frightening incident, even after several tests.
According to The Guardian, Kante’s older brother, Niamh, died of a heart attack just before the 2018 World Cup, which he won with France. And he lost his father when he was a young child. Combined, these have kept Kante’s heart, literally and figuratively, unsettled.
At least he gave it a go on Tuesday, though, which is commendable. Kante joined his teammates, without his signature shaved head, but found one training session enough for him to decide against it.
Kante will train from home for the foreseeable future, hopefully putting him at ease with the situation.
Other Chelsea News
Winger Callum Hudson-Odoi restarted training with the Blues despite his recent arrest on suspicion of rape, after of which he posted bail.
Second choice keeper Willy Caballero extended his Chelsea contract by another year.
Last month, we reported on Olivier Giroud’s year-long contract extension. And finally, he’s put pen to paper, with confirmation coming from Chelsea’s website.
Project Restart Progress
19 of the 20 Premier League clubs, sans Norwich, tested a total of 748 players, coaches, and staff. And only six, thankfully, returned positive coming from three clubs.
Watford’s Adrian Mariappa confirmed he tested positive, calling it a “big surprise.” Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan also tested positive but is asymptomatic.
The Premier League is hoping to move to phase two of Project Restart with government approval likely coming before the end of the week. Once full contact training is up and running, the league will focus on when it can resume games, with June 12th or 19 as the target.
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