Lampard hints Kante could return from injury for the season opener

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has said that midfielder N’Golo Kante could make a comeback from a knee injury ahead of the Premier League opener against Manchester United next month. The France international has been sidelined with a knee problem picked up at the backend of the previous campaign but Lampard believes the midfielder is making good progress in terms of the recovery at the club’s training base.

Speaking in a press conference, Lampard confirmed that the World Cup winner has returned to individual training and he could link up with his teammates in the next few days, he said: “He is training. He has dipped into training with us in the last couple of days. There is a lot more that he needs to do physically, off without us that he can do without any contact which has been good but the signs are good in the last three days that we have been back.”

When pressed further about a possible return date, Lampard hinted that he could make the comeback for the curtain raiser, although that depends on whether he is able to achieve peak fitness, he continued:“He is a top class player, so however much you want him in, at the same time you have to make sure he is as fit as he can be when he comes back.”

Under the guidance of Lampard, the Blues have endured a mixed pre-season with victories in three of their five matches. Nonetheless, there have been positives on the attack front with six goals scored in the past two games against Barcelona and Reading alone and Lampard will be hoping that the team can continue to shine in the final third, where they don’t have the services of Eden Hazard anymore.  Chelsea have two games remaining against Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Monchengladbach to conclude their pre-season campaign.

Allardyce slams Chelsea’s second-half showing against Manchester United

Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce has criticised the performance of Chelsea during the season opener against Manchester United on the road. The Blues were the dominant side in terms of the chances created and possession at Old Trafford, but that did not necessarily influence the outcome of the game as United won by a comfortable 4-0 score.

Speaking after the encounter, Allardyce stated that the Blues were the better team in the league clash but that has not been reflected with the result. He continued to criticise the west London giants, who seemed to lose concentration during the final 30 minutes where they conceded as many as three goals on the counter-attack.

Continue reading “Allardyce slams Chelsea’s second-half showing against Manchester United”