Chelsea set for huge boost with news N’Golo Kante could be fit to face Bournemouth this weekend
N'GOLO KANTE could be fit for Chelsea in the next week after Antonio Conte confirmed he is in contention for a first-team place.
The Frenchman has been injured since limping off for France on international duty in their 1-0 win over Bulgaria.
The PFA Player of the Year pulled his hamstring and had to be hauled off before missing Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace and their thrilling 3-3 draw with Roma.
And Conte confirmed the 26-year-old is back in the fold for the Blues after his latest setback and could be fit to face Bournemouth - if not their return Champions League clash with Roma.
The Italian said: "Kante is progressing well. I’m very happy. I saw him in a good physical condition.
"For sure in this moment, we have to keep calm and find the right moment to utilise him and put him in the team.
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"Now it will be very easy to tell him play because I’m seeing you very well. [But] we must pay attention to find the best solution for him. He’s great."
Until his injury, Kante had been the first name on the teamsheet for Conte, playing in the vast majority of Chelsea and France's games.
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The former Caen midfield dynamo is expected to be the same for Didier Deschamps in Russia next year, as Les Bleus enter the competition as one of the favourites to lift the World Cup for a second time.
The Blues have certainly missed his presence in breaking down play, as was shown as they dropped points in their recent matches.
But the 2-1 win over Everton last night showed they have reinforcements in his former Leicester team-mate Danny Drinkwater.