KANTE RETURNS TO CHELSEA AFTER SUFFERING HAMSTRING INJURY ON DUTY WITH FRANCE

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kanté will play no part in France’s next two World Cup qualifiers after sustaining an injury to his left thigh against Ukraine.

N’Golo Kanté is set to return to Chelsea on Friday after being ruled out of France’s World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Bosnia-Herzegovina with a hamstring injury. The 29-year-old played the full 90 minutes of Les Bleus’ 1-1 draw with Ukraine in their opening Group D match at the Stade de France on Wednesday.

However, he sustained a minor injury late on in the game and will now be assessed by Chelsea, who have key fixtures to come in three competitions in April.

A statement on the French Football Federation website on Thursday read: “The Chelsea midfielder felt a pain in the hamstrings of the left thigh at the very end of the match against Ukraine. He had clinical and radiological examinations on Thursday, which revealed a small lesion. In consultation with Doctor Franck Le Gall, national coach Didier Deschamps has decided to put N’Golo Kanté back at the disposal of his club on Friday.”