Chelsea’s N’golo Kante returns to full-contact training

Midfielder had been training individually due to safety concerns

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has returned to full-contact training, increasing the likelihood that he will participate in the remainder of the Premier League season.

The French World Cup-winner has been training individually at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground due to concerns over safety and was initially granted compassionate leave to miss the first phase of the squad’s return to training.

However, Kante was reintegrated with the first-team squad on Monday and Tuesday and featured in full-contact sessions.

It’s considered unlikely that the 29-year-old will be fit to start Frank Lampard’s side’s first game back against Aston Villa on 21 June, but the head coach is confident Kante will be able to play a prominent role in the run-in.

Kante had initially expressed fear over returning to training due to concerns around the safety of his family.

His brother, Niama, passed away after suffered a heart attack in 2018 while Kante himself collapsed during a training session that year.