Thomas Tuchel has stated that he will not risk N’Golo Kante in the upcoming Chelsea vs Brentford Carabao Cup game, following his injury concerns. The manager believes that the player’s injury should not be pushed further than necessary.
Kante had suffered an injury in Chelsea’s Champions League game against Juventus in November. The player was subbed off after 37 minutes with a knee issue, which was later found out to be a long-term one. The player has since then missed five Premier League games.
The Frenchman made a return from his problems in the Blues’ game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing a full 90. Even though he had no issues post-game, the player is now at risk and will undergo rest again.
Chelsea’s continued injury and Covid-19 troubles
Nearing the end of 2021, the London Giants have new complications arising. The Premier League recently passed a statement regarding fixture pile-up around New Year. The competition will continue like normal even though there have been emerging cases of Covid-19. The PL believes that as long as a team has 13 outfield players plus a goalkeeper fit to play, the games will not be postponed.
As a result, Thomas Tuchel’s side will be heavily hit after several of their players were tested positive with the virus. The list includes Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and Jorginho. While the Italian is expected to be back for the Wednesday game, the rest of the players still would not be available.
Not just coronavirus, but injuries have hit the Pensioners too. Ben Chilwell will be out for a long time with a fear of an ACL issue. Mateo Kovacic was also out but made a short return against Wolves. Trevoh Chalobah also picked up an injury in the same game who is now a major doubt.
Tuchel could miss Kante in further Chelsea matches
Even though the France international made a return, it was later claimed by Tuchel that it was a risky venture. During a press conference, the manager said:
“What we did with N’Golo Kante for 90 minutes was close to being irresponsible. Will he be involved in the squad against Brentford? No. Simply no.”
Further adding, the manager stated:
“To have a team with 13 or 14 players for one match. This is a problem, but not the big problem. We can do and we can fight, but from the match, we have Trevoh Chalobah injured, we have him in big doubts, we have N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic involved, which was taking huge, huge risks and now we are paying for this.
Due to the busy period, the Blues will now be forced to manage Kante’s time on the pitch with utmost precision and he could make a small appearance against the Hornets. Chelsea will play Aston Villa on Sunday and will be hoping for no further injuries.
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