Why Kante played only in the first half against Aston Villa

There have been speculations concerning Chelsea midfielder’s N’golo Kante’s fitness since his return to the squad last weekend.

This comes after Kante was subbed off after the first half in the game against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, with Mason Mount coming in as his replacement.

The reports revealed that Kante is carrying a persistent groin injury, which has made the Blues manager, Thomas Tuchel, use him sparingly thus far.

Recall that the French midfielder was brought on at the start of the second half against Tottenham on Sunday while Mount was subbed off.

His appearance in the match went on to help Chelsea win the match against the Hotspurs with a 3-0 scoreline.

Tuchel, in a statement, has, however, stressed that subbing off Kante during the game against Aston Villa had nothing to do with injury as the change was deliberate.

“For Mason and N’Golo it was clear that we share the game,” he said.

The Blues will return to action this weekend as they face Man City in one of the biggest matches this season in the premier league.

Kante is expected to start in the match this weekend.