Chelsea manager Graham Potter revealed that "his team will receive a significant morale boost with the return of Frenchman N'Golo Kante, who injured his hamstring last August, but midfielder Mason Mount will be absent." Kante, 31, has played only two matches this season before his injury and returned to full training at the beginning of this month. However, Potter mentioned in a press conference that he will "handle the player's situation with caution when reintegrating him into the lineup," adding that "all previous managers of the team have praised Kante because he is a great player, we have missed him greatly."
The London club is looking for its fourth consecutive win after a streak of six matches without a victory in all competitions. However, the team will miss the efforts of forward Raheem Sterling, midfielder Mason Mount, and defensive duo Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta due to injuries. Potter also announced that "Mount's unusual abdominal injury will keep him out of England's matches against Italy and Ukraine in the qualifiers for the 2024 European Championship." Regarding Sterling, Potter noted that "he is suffering from a hamstring issue, it is not serious but he will miss the match at the beginning of the week as well as the international matches, and Thiago and Azpilicueta are also out."
