Chelsea handed major N’Golo Kante fitness boost after training return ahead of Spurs clash

N’Golo Kante offered Chelsea a huge boost after joining the squad in training on Tuesday morning at their Cobham training ground.

The 31-year-old has been out of action since August with a hamstring injury. Kante suffered a setback on his initial return and underwent hamstring surgery in October.

A period of around four months was the timeline for Kante’s absence, with it hoped he would return at the end of February or start of March.

Kante has been among one of many players who have struggled with injuries this term, he has only featured twice in 2022-23, but head coach Graham Potter has started to see the numbers in the medical room reduce in recent weeks.

The Frenchman has been doing light work away from the team recently, but he has now been pictured with the rest of the team in the warm-up session at Cobham by Sky Sports.

It was stressed that Sky Sports were filming the warm-up part of the session and it remains unclear whether the midfielder will be involved in full team training on Tuesday.

Chelsea returned to Cobham on Tuesday after Potter gave the side two days off on Sunday and Monday following their dismal 1-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-table Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

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Whether or not Kante will be fit to be included in the matchday squad against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday is also unclear, although probably very unlikely with Potter unlikely to want to risk any further setback.

It was reported by Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph that Potter opted not to start Reece James, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk against Southampton on Saturday due to being told by the medical that they could risk significant injury if they’d have started.

Kante will be hoping to get a run in the side between now and the end of the season while contract talks over an extension to his current deal, which expires this summer, remain ongoing. Talks are claimed to be going in a positive direction.