Frank Lampard has spoken out about N'Golo Kante's chances of facing Southampton on Sunday afternoon.
The midfielder has endured a frustrating start to his 2019/2020 campaign.
After making a goalscoring return to action against Liverpool following four games out through injury, the Frenchman didn't make the Blues' matchday squad for the 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend.
The reason for Kante's absence against the Seagulls was because of an hamstring scare and Lampard understandably didn't want to risk further damage by playing him.
That proved to be a wise decision as the 28-year-old was back in the starting line-up for the Champions League game away at Ligue 1 outfit Lille four days later.
In a boost to the west London outfit, Kante came through the game unscathed.
And whether he starts at St Mary's will be down to the Blues head coach who has stressed that Kante did not suffer an injury setback.
"That's something we will have to watch over the next 24 or 48 hours to make sure he is still on a semi-recovery as they all are from the trip to Lille and the game," Lampard said during his pre-Southampton press conference on Friday afternoon. "The fact he hasn’t played much obviously.
"In terms of the injury, he is fine. There is no fall out from that from the game. It is just making sure he is fit and ready and that’s a call for myself."
Having Kante fit and available for selection is certainly fantastic news for the Blues as they bid to make it four wins in a row across all competitions.
The midfielder is one of the best players in his position across Europe with his high energy performances and ability to make interceptions earning him praise in recent years.
In terms of injuries, Antonio Rudiger, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Emerson Palmieri remain sidelined and will not feature against the Saints.
Forgotten midfielder Marco van Ginkel is also on the comeback trail after suffering a serious knee injury, but too won't be in contention for the final Premier League before the October international break.
