N’Golo Kante, the French midfielder who had a hamstring injury in August, will provide Chelsea a boost, but Mason Mount will miss out, according to manager Graham Potter on Friday.
Kante, 31, returned to full training at the beginning of the month after missing just two games due to injury. However, Potter warned that they would need to be cautious when reintroducing him to the starting lineup.
“N’Golo has a chance of being back in the squad,” Potter told reporters ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League game at home to struggling Everton on Saturday.
“Managers before me have spoken highly of N’Golo because he’s a top player. He has been a huge miss to us.
“It’s great for us he is back and we have to be mindful he has (had) a long injury. We have to take the steps to get him up to speed in the Premier League.”
After a six-match winless streak across all competitions, the revitalised London team is aiming for their fourth straight success.
Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Thiago Silva, and Cesar Azpilicueta, all of whom play for Chelsea, are injured and unable to compete.
Potter stated that Mount would also miss England’s opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine due to his ailment, a peculiar issue with a bone in his abdominal area.
Sterling’s injury prevented him from travelling with the rest of Gareth Southgate’s England team on Thursday.
“Raheem has a problem with his hamstring. It’s not too serious but he’ll miss the game at the weekend and the international trip,” Potter added.
“It’s the same with Mason. He’ll miss the England camp as well. Thiago and Azpi are out.”
Relegation-threatened Everton is now 15th in the league, a full point above the relegation zone, thanks to former Burnley manager Sean Dyche.
“He’s a fantastic coach and his record is impressive. To do what he did at Burnley is a fantastic achievement,” Potter said.
“Everton are motivated, (they have) clarity in all the phases. We know how difficult the game is, we’ll have to play well.”
