Frank Lampard provided an update on N’Golo Kante and revealed the Chelsea star is set to return to training before Saturday’s fixture.
Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard said N’Golo Kante will resume training “in the next two or three days” as he steps up his recovery from a groin strain.
Kante missed Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the EFL Cup fourth round at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The France international has not featured since injuring his groin during the warm-up ahead of his country’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Iceland on October 14.
Lampard provided an update on Kante post-match and revealed the Chelsea star is set to return to training before Saturday’s clash with Premier League strugglers Watford.
“Training in the next two or three days,” Lampard told reporters. “Hopefully [before the international break]. It’s important, he’s a top player.
“I’d have liked to have given Jorginho and [Mateo] Kovacic a rest tonight because of the work they’ve put in, but I couldn’t today because of N’Golo, Ross [Barkley] and Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] long-term. I couldn’t make the changes I wanted to today. It is what it is.”
Chelsea succumbed to Marcus Rashford’s stunning 73rd-minute free-kick in London, where United moved through to the quarter-finals.
Michy Batshuayi had cancelled out Rashford’s 25th-minute penalty after the hour before the United star stepped up and scored a jaw-dropping, Cristiano Ronaldo-esque set piece.
With the Blues down 1-0 in the 57th minute, supporters chanted for benched striker Tammy Abraham to brought on to help get the team back into the game.
Lampard believes the fans support for Abraham was not a negative message to Batshuayi, praising the Belgian’s performance and insisting the club’s faithful had a special connection with the English striker.
“I don’t think the chant is a slant on Michy. They love Tammy,” Lampard said.
“The outstanding moment of the game from our point of view was Michy in terms of finish and strength.
“It’s not easy when another striker’s scoring and you’re not getting involved much, but he has shown something in training.”
The Blues currently sit in fourth place on the Premier League standings, eight points behind leaders Liverpool but only two behind second-placed City.
They also hold a four-point advantage over Arsenal in fifth position.
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