Sarri unsure whether Kante would be fit for final

Maurizio Sarri says N’Golo Kante’s hamstring problem is not overly serious but is unsure whether the midfielder would be available were Chelsea to reach the Europa League final.

Kante has been ruled out of the semi-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt as well as the final Premier League match of the season, against his former club Leicester.

If they get past Eintracht, Chelsea will hope that Kante can recover in time to play in the final in Baku on 29 May.

But Blues head coach Sarri is unsure at this stage whether the France star will be fit by then.

Speaking at a news conference on the eve of the Eintracht clash, Sarri said: “Kante has a problem with his hamstring. It’s not really very serious but he needs to rest for a couple of weeks.

“We can try to recover him only in the case of the final. We can try. I am not sure, but we can try.”

Sarri also responded to reports linking him with the manager’s job at Roma by insisting he wants to stay in England – even if Chelsea sack him this summer.

“I want to stay here. I like English football very much – the atmosphere in the stadiums,” he said.

“So if I can I want to stay here. My target is to stay in English football.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek says he is optimistic he can overcome his persistent back problems.