Will play, will not play?
The question has tormented Chelsea supporters since the untimely exit of N'Golo Kanté on May 19 against Leicester City (2-1 victory for the Blues).
Three days before the Champions League final, optimism now prevails.
Kanté, affected by the adductors, returned to training on Wednesday and will normally be able to hold his place.
In the light of its importance for the London club, we better measure the scope and meaning of the words spoken Tuesday by his coach, Thomas Tuchel.
"I'm just going to put him on the field during training on Wednesday and I will stop asking if there are any problems," smiled the former PSG coach.
We're just going to put him in training and on the pitch when the game starts on Saturday.
And maybe I won't talk to doctors and physiotherapists anymore, so I won't hear any more doubts, complaints or nothing.
Maybe I have to think about changing tactics… ”
Very attentive to his body
In reality, the German technician has apparently never really doubted the ability of his player, aged 30, to be present against Manchester City.
The former Caen midfielder, very attentive to his body and suffering from somewhat recurring muscle discomfort, preferred to leave his partners as a precaution against Leicester.
Hit in the hamstrings against Ukraine in March with the Blues (1-1), he had already had to forfeit travel to Kazakhstan (2-0) and Bosnia (1-0).
Porto preparations!
#UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/27pOzzKQhv
- Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 26, 2021
Slightly injured when Tuchel arrives at the head of the Blues to replace Frank Lampard on January 26, 2021, Kanté had lived the first games of his new coach from the sidelines. He had to wait for the trip to Southampton on February 20 to finally start. He quickly established himself, then, as an essential pawn of Tuchel's device, which has never ceased to praise his address.
“I think N'Golo fits in with the plans of any manager on the planet,” he explained after starting Kanté for the first time in the Cup against Barnsley on February 10.
In the past, I was desperate not to have him on my teams.
See the guy live, how he works, how humble he is, the quality he gives to the team.
I am so honored to be his coach.
What I see on the pitch is everything I expected and I expect a lot from him because I am a huge fan ”
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N'Golo Kanté, like his Chelsea partners Olivier Giroud and Kurt Zouma, will join the 22 Blues at the start of next week, already gathered at Clairefontaine since Wednesday to prepare for the Euro.