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Published 08:56 IST, November 5th 2019

Champions League: Chelsea star N'Golo Kante included in team squad

UCL Matchday 4: Chelsea received an injury boost with the inclusion of N'Golo Kante back into the squad. Chelsea face Ajax on Tuesday night (1:30 AM IST)

Reported by: Minaam Ansari
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Premier League giants Chelsea and their manager Frank Lampard received an injury boost with the return of N’Golo Kante back to the team’s squad. The player was included in the Champions League Matchday 4 squad to face Ajax at Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea: Jorginho and Kovacic covered up well

Chelsea were able to cope with their maestro’s absence with Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic covering up well for the France International. The player has not featured since injuring his groin during his country's Euro 2020 qualifier against Iceland on October 14, 2019. He has made just six appearances for the Blues this season, while missing five of their recent games.

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Availability of Kante could mean that either of the central midfielders Jorginho or Mateo Kovacic could be rested by coach. Lampard wanted to rest them both for the Carabao Cup match against Manchester United but was forced to play them as he was short of options.

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Chelsea lead their group in the Champions League

Chelsea are top of their group in the Champions League, after a crucial 1-0 win at Ajax in October. A win against Ajax would mean that Chelsea would well be very close to qualification to the Round of 16, with matches against Lille and Valencia still remaining.

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Ahead of tough fixtures, with Chelsea facing Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Valencia, the return of Kante would prove to be a morale boost for Lampard. Lampard believes that N'Golo Kante is one of the best midfield players in the world and has been for a few seasons, so he won't complain about the injury problem and he is happy to have him fit.

Updated 12:13 IST, November 5th 2019