Frank Lampard has confirmed that N'Golo Kante has returned to training.
The Chelsea midfielder has had a disjointed start to the new season after a series of injuries.
A sprained ankle forced him out for three games at the start of September, while a hamstring injury saw him miss the Carabao Cup clash with Grimsby Town and the victory over Brighton at the weekend.
It's been suggested that Kante could return for Chelsea's Champions League clash with Lille on Wednesday, but Lampard was keen to keep his cards close to his chest.
"He has trained and got through it okay. One that we have to assess.
"We are positive. It doesn’t relate to the Europa League. The fallout of that meant he has had a broken pre-season.
"He has had a few niggles, some bad luck. Everyone is working to getting him fit."
Frank Lampard spoke about Kante's frustration over his injury, but said that the main thing is ensuring that he comes back when he's ready.
He said: "My feeling is that he has played a lot and that's because he has been so successful and so important to the teams he has been in. At the minute, he has injuries.
"This little niggle he had is a small, small injury. We just need to get it right. We are just careful and it is my duty to work with him. The medical team are working so hard with him.
"I have been there as a player and, if you miss a pre-season through an injury in particular, then you are playing catch-up.
"At the moment he is playing catch-up and that's no fault of his own. He has played four seasons now full-on, game after game with international tournaments.
"So, it is right to be a bit careful. Let's be happy. We got a result here, we are doing okay. With N'Golo, when we do get him to where we want him to be, we will be stronger with him."
