Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, recently, resumed full contact training despite concerns raised regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Kante’s training is in preparation for the resumption of the Premier League which is set to restart next week. The midfielder is finishing his training at the club’s training facility in Cobham. Despite safety concerns about the spread of the virus, he is adamant to continue his training.
Preparation for return of the season
The 29-year-old World Cup winner is expected to play a vital role as the Premier League season begins. He trained by himself during the lockdown period. Also, his return to the facility is a welcome sight for his teammates.
Due to the pandemic, teams were not allowed to have contact training in any facilities. However, as the pandemic eases down so does the regulations. The League now allows contact training, given that players are regularly tested for the virus. The government also relaxed some social distancing measures.
💪@nglkante support post.
We’re glad to see he’s back at training amid understandable concerns about #covid19. What a man. What a player. #cfc #kante #lampard #training #premierleague pic.twitter.com/kNxNHRJ4jA
— London Is Blue Podcast ⭐️⭐️ (@LondonBluePod) June 10, 2020
The return to training was divided into three phases. During the first phase, physical contact between players and staff is not allowed. As the training progresses, several measures were relaxed as phase two rolls on.
Since no positive cases were recorded during the monitoring phase, the league decided to resume the season. The Premier League will return on June 18 with a match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United.
In the run for the Champions League
The Premier League will return with Chelsea sitting in fourth place. The club is currently in the run-in for a spot in the Champions League. Manchester United is just three points behind the team.
The battle for the fourth spot will be hard for both Chelsea and Manchester United. Based on their schedule, the two clubs are expecting to face formidable clubs.
For Chelsea, securing a Champions League berth should be the most important thing. With regards to Premier League, Liverpool is comfortably on top of the table with 82 points. Watford derailed the club’s historic run with a 3-0 trashing.
Once the season resumes, Chelsea will play nine more games in order to hold on to its fourth position. Manchester United will try its best to dethrone The Blues and snatch a qualification for the Champions League.
Chelsea will resume its Premier League season on June 21. They will play against Aston Villa. Among the club’s most important match will be against Manchester City, Leicester City, and Liverpool.
Image courtesy of Кирилл Венедиктов/Wikimedia Commons