Potter says he doesn’t want to take a risk on this midfielder’s fitness

Chelsea manager Graham Potter has said he doesn’t want to take a risk on N’Golo Kante’s fitness by starting him in a match soon.

Kante, who recently rejoined the Blues squad is on the way to recovery from a muscular injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur in August.

Potter said the major concern for him on his players was to ensure their safety before reintroducing them to the first team.

He told reporters at Friday’s press conference: “I can only speak for myself and the welfare of the player is important. I don’t want to take a risk with that.

“I understand that you have to take some decisions, but from my perspective, I want to make sure that the player’s safe and is ready.

“Ready to play consistently over a period of time and I think that’s the best way to build relationships with them and get them back stronger and enjoying their football.”

Kante, who has been one of the Blues’ most key performers since he arrived at the club in 2017 from Leicester City, has, however, been struggling with injury for some while, which has seen him miss a total of 72 games.