N'Golo Kante Still Out for Chelsea, Will Miss Clash vs. Wolves
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that midfielder N'Golo Kante will miss the upcoming clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers as he continues to recover from injury.
The Frenchman picked up an ankle injury during training and has missed Chelsea's last two games, while he also sat out the international break to try and recover in time.
However, speaking ahead of the game (via Goal), Lampard confirmed that Kante will play no part in the game against Wolves, although he remains hopeful that the midfielder will soon be able to return to first-team action.
He said: "N’Golo is not fit. He still has issues with his ankle. The medical team are working with him.
"He is in a transition period and we are trying to get him on the pitch. He is doing some physical work but this game comes too soon for him.
"Hopefully he is close. I don’t want to jump the gun because we are waiting for improvements for that final step to get him where we want him to be on the pitch. Hopefully that will be in the next week or so."
Fortunately, it was not all bad news for Blues fans. Lampard confirmed that both Pedro and Mateo Kovacic are fit to take part in the game, while he also revealed that defender Antonio Rudiger could be set for his first appearance of the season after recovering from a knee injury.
"Rudiger is fit to play. It’s a choice for myself, but he will have an important role. We have missed him as we have with a few more front line players," Lampard added.
"Rudiger is not old but he needs to take on the responsibility of being a leader. It is important in a team. I don’t want a young team for the sake of it. He can be influential. He is ready to take on those roles."
