Kante has not played since August(Picture: Getty)
Chelsea have confirmed N’Golo Kante will be sidelined for four months after undergoing surgery on his hamstring.
The France midfielder featured in Chelsea’s opening two games of the season but has been plagued by the injury since August, suffering a further setback earlier this month.
After visiting a specialist, the decision was taken for the 31-year-old to undergo an operation which will now rule him out of the World Cup.
A statement from Chelsea on Tuesday night read: ‘N’Golo Kante has undergone an operation on his hamstring injury.
‘The midfielder visited a specialist with the club’s medical department to explore the options for his rehabilitation approach and it was mutually agreed for N’Golo to have surgery to repair the damage.
‘Following a successful operation, N’Golo is now expected to be sidelined for four months.’
Chelsea boss Graham Potter revealed it was ‘not good news’ regarding the midfielder in a press conference last week.
Potter will be without the Frenchman until January at the earliest (Picture: Getty)
‘He’s due to see a consultant at the weekend. It’s a setback, but I can’t give you anything more at this stage,’ Potter said.
‘Historically there are things which have happened which is a concern, so we need to get to the bottom of that.
‘It’s a setback at this stage of this rehab which is worrying, but all we can do is get the right diagnosis, get the right consultation, and try and help him get back to full fitness and enjoying his football.’
His absence will be greatly felt by the France boss Didier Deschamps as Les Blues seek to defend their World Cup crown in Qatar next month.
Kante has 53 caps for his country and was ever-present throughout their success 2018 campaign.
Chelsea are currently in contract negotiations with Kante with his latest injury blow potentially complicating negotiations. The former Leicester City star is in the final 12 months of his current deal at Stamford Bridge.
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A huge blow for the Blues…