Covid casualty: Kante to miss Champions League, EPL and France games

September 29 – Chelsea’s influential midfielder N’Golo Kante has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss tonight’s high-profile Champions League tie with Juventus.

The 30-year-old French international will isolate for 10 days and will also be ruled out of the league game with Southampton on Saturday and in all likelihood France’s Nations League clash with Belgium on October 7.

When asked if players should lead by example and get vaccinated, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel refused to criticise Kante.

Tuchel said he did not know what percentage of his players had received the vaccine and argued it was not his responsibility to make that decision for them.

“I’m not so sure. We are a reflection of society, the players are adults and they have a free choice,” Tuchel told a news conference.

“We are also only a reflection of society. The players are adults and have free choice if they want to get vaccinated or not, and I think we should accept it. I know the situation is far from over and all the time somebody gets [the virus] here from us and our group, it makes you very aware that it’s not over.”

“We don’t like to lose players but we are not angry with N’Golo, far from it. I am concerned about him, I am worried about him like I am worried about my injured players.”

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