Chelsea players Kante and James both doubtful for World Cup

A pair of Chelsea stars now seem like the World Cup is out of reach. Both have injuries that will not allow them to return to full fitness for the competition.

France international N’Golo Kante will miss the upcoming World Cup due to a hamstring injury. The Athletic claims the Chelsea star midfielder suffered the setback in training and is expected to be on the sidelines for about three months. The World Cup begins in just over a month.

Kante previously injured his hamstring during a draw against Tottenham Hotspur back in August. The 31-year-old midfielder has not featured since. However, it appears as if Kante recently re-injured the hamstring as he attempted to gain fitness.

The Frenchman has made 53 appearances for his country and was a vital part of France’s 2018 World Cup triumph.

To make matters worse for Chelsea, head coach Graham Potter also claimed that Reece James will soon see a specialist about his injured knee. ”Reece is due to see a specialist over the weekend so until we get that information, there is not too much more I can add,” stated Potter.

When asked if his right back could also miss the World Cup, Potter urged caution on the situation. “We need to check the discomfort and see a specialist,” the coach continued.

Chelsea players not healthy enough for World Cup

“Yesterday he felt not too bad but until you get these things checked we never know. There is no point looking into the doomsday scenario yet. We need to check and then go forward.”

James injured his knee during his team’s 2-0 victory against AC Milan on Tuesday. The England international was substituted out of the match in the 62nd minute due to the incident.

Potter also acknowledged that missing a massive tournament like the World Cup would be demoralizing for his players. “If anything happens like [missing the World Cup], they are going to be disappointed,” Potter proclaimed. “They are human beings and they want to go.”

“It’s about dealing with the upset and we will help them with that. I can’t think of anything from my career that compares with missing the World Cup.”