Injury expert: Kante set to be out for ‘six weeks’ after ‘worrying’ Chelsea news
Chelsea superstar N’Golo Kante was once thought “bulletproof” but he could now be out for six weeks in his fourth spell on the sidelines this season.
So says injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
An apparent knee problem forced Kante off with half-an-hour remaining in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa last Wednesday (22 December).
Per the Evening Standard later that day, Thomas Tuchel confirmed Kante’s setback was “very painful” and in the “same spot” as his previous injury.
The World Cup and Premier League winner, who also tested positive for Covid-19 in late September, missed five matches across three weeks after that previous knee issue.
Dinnery claims that the 30-year-old could spend twice as long on the sidelines this time around.
“This is a worry,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“Everyone thought Kante was bulletproof until that injury he got prior to the Europa League final a few years ago.
“Things have been hampering and restricting him ever since.
“It’s not just the impact of Covid and players being absent that is having an effect, it’s the strain that you’re putting on the rest of the squad.
“Tuchel probably knew it was a little too soon for Kante to come back into that team, but he didn’t have many options.
“His initial problem that he picked up against Juventus kept him out for just over three weeks.
“Typically, when a player suffers a recurrence of an injury, you can add a certain amount of time on.
“If it is a setback that might usually be three or three-and-a-half weeks, you could make that four to six weeks.
“That is if that initial injury hasn’t been exacerbated any further.”
As well as his Covid bout and two knee injuries, Kante missed three matches with a groin setback between August and September.
He will be absent for Chelsea’s clash with Brighton at Stanford Bridge tomorrow night (29 December).
In other news, Gabby Agbonlahor shares three-word verdict on Tottenham completing £104million” deal for Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger.