Kante returned to the pitch on Friday for the first time since picking up a hamstring injury against Tottenham. He was part of the Chelsea U21 squad for a friendly match against Charlton Under-21s.
The World Cup champion played 60 minutes of the match without an audience at the Blues’ Cobham training ground. And he was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from Mount and Thiago Silva outside the touchline.
Mount even wore Kante’s jersey over his jacket to cheer on the France international on his return day. Meanwhile, Thiago Silva happily watched from the stands.
Chelsea U21 won 3-0 against U21 opponent Charlton. Goals were scored by Dion Rankine, Silko Thomas and Malik Mothersille.
Kante’s return will be a welcome signal for coach Graham Potter. The 47-year-old strategist said of the French midfielder last week: “The coaches before me have appreciated N’Golo very much because he is a top player.”
“His injury is a huge loss for us. It’s great for us to have him back. We’re taking every step to help him get back to his best speed and fitness. “.
Chelsea will return to play next Saturday, after 2 weeks of making room for the national teams to play. They will host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
