On Saturday, looking for their first victory in Bulgaria in 85 years, Les Blues were sweating profusely at the Vasil Levski. Play stops on the 34th minute, a player is injured – no, it can’t be N’Golo Kante? Yes, it is! But he’s not human, so how is that possible?
I never thought I’d see the day. N’Golo Kante limps off injured. The man who runs so hard, his former manager thought he had a pack of batteries in his shorts. The midfielder who stunned the Premier League in successive seasons: winning the title on both occasions, with two different teams. During those campaigns, his only major concern was a hamstring complaint in March 2016. That injury was so inconsequential, he only sat out training for three days.
Last season with Chelsea, Kante was available for every contest the champions played. Antonio Conte started him in 35 Premier League games, resting him in just three – although he didn’t need to. Kante remains the ever-reliable defensive midfielder whose back could never touch the ground.
Kante has played 72 Premier League games since moving to England from Caen in 2015; in most of those, he’s been untouchable – too fast, too technical and too strong for his opponents. Little surprise, then, he’s earned two Premier League medals during his time in English football. The reigning PFA Player of the Yearhas garnered enough praise and hype to have his head swell twice it’s original size.
Kante’s impressive form saw him become an integral member of his national team. He was among the first names on Didier Deschamps’ team sheet for Euro 2016, and the Chelsea midfielder has since been a regular feature in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. In France’s recent encounter, however, we witnessed something rare and unusual: N’Golo Kante pulled up in distress. So, he does get injured after all.
N’Golo Kante – beginning to feel the strain of games
For a player who runs all over the pitch, featuring in almost every game for both club and country, it was expected that such a day would finally arrive – and on Saturday, it did. If it hadn’t occurred while representing Les Blues then certainly with Chelsea. Like the proverbial willing horse that gets worked to death, Kante was becoming overburdened and overused. This injury will provide a much-needed recharge for the ironman extraordinaire.
Antonio Conte will rue the latest injury news filtering into his ranks. Factoring in a similar injury to Alvaro Morata, the Blues now have investments totalling close to £120 million on the treatment table. Hello, Danny Drinkwater? This is why Chelsea signed you. The Englishman’s recovery from a foot injury couldn’t come at a better time.
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