N’Golo Kanté has made his return to full contact training with Chelsea, giving the club encouragement he will be able to play some part in their season run-in.
World Cup winner Kanté had been keeping fit on his own at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, having originally been granted compassionate leave after deciding not to take part in the phase one non-contact return.
He did not play in the in-house training game at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, but Kanté took part in phase two contact sessions at Cobham on Monday and Tuesday.
Kanté’s return will come as a boost to head coach Frank Lampard, although he and Chelsea will continue to allow the France international to reintegrate himself at his own pace.
Lampard has not placed any pressure on Kanté, but has kept him informed of all of the safety protocols and the player has continued to be tested for coronavirus — receiving negative results each time.
That understanding approach appears to have paid off and given Kanté time to reassure himself that he can play football again without putting himself at significant risk.
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It is unlikely Kanté will be fit enough to start Chelsea’s first Premier League game against Aston Villa on June 21, but there are now encouraging signs the 29-year-old could play again before the end of the season.
As first revealed by Telegraph Sport, Kanté has been fearful about the safety to him and his family of a playing return.
His brother Niama died of a heart attack shortly before the 2018 World Cup and his father died when he was aged just 11. Kanté himself suffered a health scare when he collapsed in front of terrified team-mates two years ago.
Lampard is currently holding two training sessions each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, as he attempts to get his Chelsea squad ready for the restart to the season.
© Getty (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Mason Mount has played a full part in Chelsea’s staged return to training and is looking forward to finishing his breakthrough season at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old has made 41 appearances in all competitions this campaign and Chelsea can finish in style by cementing a Champions League qualification place and progressing past Leicester City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
“It’s very exciting,’ said Mount. “It’s something we’ve all been waiting for a long time, to get back playing when the time was right, so we are all excited.
“To get the games back is great and it’s something we all wanted if it was possible. We all love playing games and representing Chelsea in the Premier League and we are all looking forward to getting started again.
© Getty (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
“It’s been a long time since we played and the two months we had away in lockdown certainly seemed like such an age! So it’s been great to be able to get back out on the pitch at Cobham and do what we love.
“I think I speak on behalf of all the boys when I say we had to ensure we stayed fit during the lockdown, ready for when we could go back to work. It was important to remain active and to be honest, I think most footballers find it difficult to stay too far away from a football. I know I’ve been kicking one around my house all the time.
“Training has been great, and the boys are looking sharp. I think at the start, having been away for so long, there was a little rustiness to shake off but we are back to normal now and raring to go again.”
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