France and Chelsea midfielder, N’goloKante
N’Golo Kante has been ruled out of Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.
Kante suffered a hamstring injury in the 3-0 Premier League win over Watford a fortnight ago and Frank Lampard revealed the midfielder is not ready to return at Wembley.
Blues boss Lampard said a few other players will be monitored ahead of the clash with in-form United He said on Friday: “N’Golo Kante won’t be fit for the match, he’s still not right, so he’s out.
“Other than that, we have a few people with little niggles, which I’ll monitor over the next 24 hours or so and then we’ll be ready to go.”
Lampard is well aware of the threat posed by a United side who are unbeaten in 19 games and one of the London club’s rivals for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
“We know they are playing well; they’ve got a very potent front three, the most potent front three probably in the country in terms of numbers,” said Lampard.
“Obviously [Bruno] Fernandes has made a huge difference, so you see the strength they have brought to their team with individual quality. We have to be confident in ourselves, deal with their threats and worry about ourselves.”
Lampard has challenged his players to grasp their opportunity to win a trophy in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
“Considering where we are, we’re in the semi-final, we know what’s in front of us. The league is obviously huge but at this point you fight on two fronts and we have to give everything to try and do that,” said the former England midfielder.
“A club like Chelsea will always want to win these kinds of trophies, it’s what we’ve done very well in the modern era.
“Of course, it feels like a slightly different position this year because of the circumstances of the season, but we have an opportunity and it’s up to the players and ourselves to make the best of it on Sunday.
“We’re playing a good team, they are in good form and whoever would await us in the final will be a good team, so the work is to be done.”
Vanguard