Kante to be assessed ahead of Chelsea’s Saints clash

N’Golo Kante’s fitness will be assessed before Frank Lampard decides his line-up for Chelsea’s game at Southampton.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday afternoon, Blues boss Lampard said Kante was “fine” following his recent injuries.

He returned to the side in Wednesday’s Champions League win against Lille, having been left out for last weekend’s win against Brighton because of a minor hamstring problem. He previously struggled with knee and ankle injuries.

It is now a question of whether the Frenchman is fit enough to play twice in the space of a few days.

“That’s something we’ll have to watch over the next 24-48 hours,” Lampard said.

“He’s still on the semi-recovery – as they all are from the Lille game – and the fact that he hasn’t played much.

“In terms of the injury, he’s fine. There’s no fall-out from that on the game. It’s just about making sure he’s fit and ready and that’s obviously a call for myself (to make).”