Thomas Tuchel provides fresh update on N’Golo Kante’s hamstring injury ahead of Leicester game

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says midfielder N’Golo Kante will not be available for at least a month after picking up a hamstring injury against Tottenham.

The French midfielder was the star of the show against Spurs before his hamstring gave up on him half way through the game.

The injury is the latest setback the World Cup winner is facing having been out with similar problems last season.

He is now likely to miss the start of the Champions League group stage games and is targeting a return in September.

Chelsea will now have to find a way of beating Leicester who come to Stamford Bridge this weekend on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Southampton, the Blues themselves lost 3-0 to Leeds and to respond fiercely.

Thomas Tuchel revealed the injury to his box-to-box French midfielder will keep him out for at least four weeks.

He told reporters ahead of the Leicester game: “We are talking about four weeks plus. I told you at the end of last season he is our key player normally.

“He gives something to our team that no other player in the world can give to any other team. That makes him a key player. If your key player is out, it’s a situation you don’t like but have to deal with. It has a huge influence.”

It’s not all bad news though with Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic returning to team training and having a good chance of play his first minutes of the season this weekend.

The former Real Madrid man is a key part of the Chelsea set-up and his return to full fitness will ease the blow of losing N’Golo Kante.