N’Golo Kante’s miserable season has reached its nadir with news that he will miss this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.
The 31-year-old, described as 'Chelsea's Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’ as recently as May is now standing at a major crossroads in his remarkable career. Kante came into 2022/23 in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, with his future still up in the air.
He would have been hoping for a string of brilliant performances leading to a bumper new deal which would see him through to the twilight of his career. But after just two appearances in all competitions, it has now been confirmed he will be out until at least next year.
“N’Golo Kante has undergone an operation on his hamstring injury,” a statement from Chelsea read. “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.”
The estimated timeframe of four months adds another layer of intrigue onto his situation, with the likelihood being he will be injured until after the January transfer window. That month represents the final time, that should Chelsea wish to, they can command a fee for the player.
However, with the prospect of signing him on a free just six months later, it stands to reason that a prospective move is unlikely. Graham Potter, having been unable to play the midfielder once seen his appointment, had already admitted that his prolonged injury woes were becoming a cause for genuine concern.
“Historically, there are things which have happened which are a concern and we need to get the bottom of that,” Potter said last week. "It’s a setback in the last stage of his rehab so again that’s worrying.
“But all we can do is get the right diagnosis, the right consultation and then try and help him get back to full fitness and enjoying his football.”
And Potter isn’t the first Blues boss to point to his patchy recent fitness history, with Thomas Tuchel suggesting it had to be taken into consideration when talking about new terms. “Yes. You have to consider everything that is on the table,” the German boss said back in September.
“And on the table is his potential, on the table is his influence, and his quality. But on the table of course is his age, his salary and his injury rate, of course. From there you build a whole picture and try to find a solution.”
Another extended spell on the sidelines will do little to convince the Chelsea higher-ups that it would be a sensible use of finances. It all adds up to a scenario which suggests saying pat could be the wisest move of all.
From the player’s point of view however, he may get itchy feet and quite rightly go in search of securing his long-term future away from the Londoners. Tottenham and Manchester United have both been linked, but Paris Saint-Germain could negotiate a pre-contract agreement as soon as January 1.
For Potter, he will be desperate to get the World Cup-winning midfielder back in his side. If he can return with his best form, the decision could very quickly turn into a simple one.
