Kante set to miss United clash

LONDON. – Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is set to miss tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Manchester United due to injury while the club are waiting to discover if left back Ben Chilwell needs surgery for a similar problem, manager Thomas Tuchel said yesterday.

Kante and Chilwell suffered blows to their knee and were taken off in the midweek Champions League win over Juventus, with the England international’s issue more severe.

“N’Golo twisted his knee a little bit against Juventus and feels better, but it seems he’ll be out for some days.

‘‘We still have a little hope but it’s almost a miracle if he makes it.

“Ben is out, he has a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament and the decision is to treat it conservatively.

‘‘The next six weeks will tell the story if he makes it and be available or if he’ll need surgery.”

Striker Romelu Lukaku, who has not played for more than a month due an ankle problem, is also unlikely to start against United, with Tuchel saying the Belgian needed more time to regain full match fitness.

“The possibility he starts isn’t high because we can’t be sure what happens in the match and we have to find the balance between giving minutes and being absolutely competitive for 90 minutes,” Tuchel said.

Tuchel added he would not take United lightly despite their poor recent results.

“We would never write anybody off in this game. They’re a big club and have experienced players,” the German said.

“We want to prove a point. We have come from a hard match and now we’re onto the next one. We’ll be challenged at the highest level again on Sunday.”

Leaders Chelsea, who have 29 points from 12 games, are 12 points ahead of eighth-placed United.

Pep Guardiola has urged Raheem Sterling to maintain his recent revival after the Manchester City forward was the subject of fresh speculation about his future.

England forward Sterling had struggled to break into the City team on a regular basis since the latter stages of last season.

That led to renewed talk recently that the 26-year-old would consider a move away from the Premier League champions.

Sterling’s former club Liverpool, as well as Barcelona and Arsenal, were all linked with the star.

But Sterling has scored in three of City’s last four games, including the vital equaliser in Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’m so glad for him, he’s helped us for sure. He will fight to be better and better,” Guardiola told reporters yesterday.

“It is important for strikers and wingers to score and make assists. He was decisive in what we’ve done in recent years.

“Scoring goals can give confidence for these type of guys but he has to do better, be aggressive, go one against one, arrive in the final third. This is the first step for him to come back.”

City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne remains unavailable for tomorrow’s Premier League clash against West Ham at the Etihad Stadium following his positive test for coronavirus last week.

Fixtures

Today (all matches at 5pm unless indicated)

Arsenal vs Newcastle (2.30pm)

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United

Liverpool vs Southampton

Norwich vs Wolverhampton

Brighton and Hove vs Leeds United (7.30pm)

Tomorrow

Brentford vs Everton (4pm)

Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)

Leicester City vs Watford (4pm)

Machester City vs West Ham (4pm)