- N'Golo Kante may not feature in Chelsea's Premier League opener against Man United
- The 28-year-old played only 20 minutes in the Blues' last pre-season friendly with Monchengladbach
- Frank Lampard is unsure if the France international will be available for the tie with the Red Devils
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has revealed that midfielder N'Golo Kante remains doubtful ahead of their opening Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman played 20 minutes in the Blues 2-2 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach in their final warm-up game before the start of the new season.
And Lampard is still unsure if Kante is fit enough to get involved in Chelsea's campaign in the season opener against United.
"That was always the plan [to play 20 minutes]," Lampard told reporters.
The former Leicester City midfielder last played a competitive game for Chelsea in last season's Europa League final against Arsenal, where he suffered a knee injury.
Lampard revealed that he handed the 28-year-old few minutes of action in their last pre-friendly in Germany but remain undecided about his level of fitness.
"He's working a little bit now and it was just to give him the feeling of match time as he hasn't been able to do that yet as it's an awkward injury," he said.
"I just wanted him to feel it and us to see it as you cannot replicate it unless you do it. It was a good opportunity to do that for him and we'll work hard on getting him fit," he added.
Kante played a key part in helping Chelsea secure a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, making 53 appearances in all competitions and scoring five times.
Source: Tuko.co.ke
