Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Kieran Horn

Mateo Kovacic may have helped Graham Potter make N'Golo Kante Chelsea return decision

Chelsea secured a third consecutive win on Saturday with a dominant performance and victory against Leicester City in the Premier League. The Blues ended their six-game winless run last weekend against Leeds before advancing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Borussia Dortmund just a few days later.

After a challenging first few months of 2023, things finally look to be heading in a positive direction for Graham Potter and Chelsea. Despite keeping a clean sheet in the narrow win against Leeds, many still felt questions needed to be answered with the most important test arriving four days later.

With the Blues sat in tenth and a significant number of points away from reaching the top-four race, the current Champions League campaign would be season-defining for the club. Recent form and the one-goal deficit indicated an exit was likely but goals from Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling saw the Blues seal a spot in the next round.

READ MORE: Todd Boehly summer transfer priorities revealed as Chelsea and Arsenal consider Palmeiras star

Just four days later, Chelsea put in another great performance to come out deserved winners against Leicester scoring three goals for the first time since the victory over Wolves on October 8, 2022.

A consistent performer in all of those clashes has been Mateo Kovacic. The 28-year-old midfielder has been handed the captain's armband in the absence of Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta and he was able to contribute at both ends of the pitch in the victory over Leicester.

"Of course it’s nice to score and I’m really happy to help the team," the Croatian explained post-match after his late volley made it 3-1. "But for me, the most important thing is getting the three points. We stood up to the physical challenge from Leicester and I think over the past week, we’ve shown a lot of character to record three important wins.

"We knew we needed to step up and like Chelsea, we always do. The challenge now is to make sure we put in performances like this on a consistent basis and continue to move up the table."

Chelsea are back at Stamford Bridge next weekend as they welcome relegation-threatened Everton. The Toffees beat Brentford at Goodison Park at the same time Chelsea defeated Leicester and will therefore be full of confidence ahead of the clash.

Alongside their recent upturn in results giving them confidence, Chelsea could have another major reason to be excited for the game as N'Golo Kante could make his return. Asked ahead of the Leicester game if Kante could feature, Potter said: "He won’t be – still needs more time to build up. We're aiming maybe for Everton, unfortunately, not for tomorrow [Saturday]."

Chelsea are hopeful of seeing Kante alongside Enzo Fernandez which means if that plan is executed, Kovacic would likely lose his place in the team. However, the recent displays of the Real Madrid man gives Potter an easy decision if Kante is fit and ready for the Everton game.

No competitive action for Kante since August 14 means he will need significant time to become match fit. The partnership struck up between Kovacic and Fernandez therefore means Potter does not need to rush Kante back into the fold and he can slowly rebuild his sharpness with brief cameos.

READ NEXT:

Mykhailo Mudryk plays new Chelsea role with ease as Christian Pulisic left with cause for concern

Joao Felix, Reece James, Thiago Silva: Chelsea injury news and return dates after Leicester win

Chelsea's next five Premier League fixtures compared to Liverpool, Man Utd and Tottenham

Every word Graham Potter said on Leicester, Chelsea future, James, Silva, Kante, Mount, Mudryk

Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.