N’Golo Kante on course to return from his injury at the end of February

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante could return from his hamstring injury around the end of February, according to L’Equipe.

The news is a massive boost for the club as they have missed the diminutive central midfielder.

Kante suffered the injury in Chelsea’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur last September. He returned briefly but relapsed before making a competitive appearance.

The club announced that he would be out for three months. Kante has been struggling with injury issues since the latter part of the 2018/19 season, and they have gradually reduced his time on the pitch.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter has barely been able to use Kante, who is the club’s best player when fit. The French international can make up for any inadequacies in the middle of the park.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel compared Kante’s importance to Kylian Mbappe’s for Paris Saint-Germain. He said Kante’s absence was one of the reasons the club struggled earlier this season.

Chelsea’s Champions League win in the 2020/21 season happened because Kante stayed fit for a long stretch in the second half of the season.

The 31-year-old may be back for Chelsea at the end of February and help Chelsea as they seek to climb from 10th in the Premier League table into the top four.

Kante is discussing renewing his contract with Chelsea. The club wants the World Cup-winning star to continue his six-year association with them, but it is unclear if an agreement is close.

The player also has offers from several other clubs.