For Chelsea supporters, the image of N’Golo Kante stumbling off the field at Stamford Bridge was all too common. Yet the disappointment and annoyance did not go away. Only one issue remained: how much longer will it take this time? Seven months was not a prediction that even the most pessimistic supporters would have made.
Throughout that period, both at Chelsea and around the football world, a lot has changed. Thomas Tuchel left the team. Graham Potter is now present. The competition has grown since the World Cup was held. The Blues have had excruciatingly difficult times in the Premier League. A spot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League has been reserved.
Kante underwent hamstring surgery in October and has since been dealing with protracted rehabilitation. Cobham handled a large portion of the hard rehabilitation sessions and unnoticed labor. The 31-year-old didn’t take his first steps back on the grass at Chelsea’s training facility until early January, and even then they were hesitant at best.
Chelsea carefully planned the eight weeks that came after; they could not afford for Kante to experience a setback. The midfielder’s return has been patiently handled by the team, which hasn’t always been the case. Kante suffered because previous head coaches hurried the Frenchman back from injuries.
There is optimism that this time will be different because Kante has been carefully and properly handled. Prior to the match against Leeds United, he resumed full training, but he did not play. Both the crucial Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund and the Saturday trip to see his old team Leicester City were missed by him.
Potter stated that “Everton” was one of our possible goals last week. Unsurprisingly, that led to excitement growing among Chelsea supporters. Even if Kante doesn’t make the replacements’ bench this weekend, his inclusion in the matchday squad will be a significant boost going into the international break.
It is simple to forget that during his time at Chelsea, Potter was unable to choose Kante. The 2021 Champions League run by the Blues under Tuchel was made possible by the World Cup winner, a player who can turn a good team into a great one.
Kante has yet to participate in this season’s competition owing to injuries, but there is hope that he will have a key role to play. After the break for international play, Potter’s team will play in their Champions League quarterfinal, but they won’t know their opponents until this Friday’s draw.
With Kante in the Chelsea midfield fully healthy and fresh, no team will be seen as invincible; don’t forget that Tuchel compared the midfielder’s significance to that of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar last year. It’s also exciting to think about how the French star might complement Enzo Fernandez, who set a club record by signing from Benfica in January.
Kante’s current contract is up for renewal in the summer, and while negotiations have taken place to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge, nothing has been finalized as of yet. The most crucial thing is getting Kante back onto the field, so that will need to be addressed and a solution found.
And after seven long months, that moment may finally arrive on Saturday