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EPL star midfielder N'Golo Kante has resumed individual sessions at Chelsea's Cobham training ground, following successful talks with head coach Frank Lampard.
This latest update comes after the EPL confirmed a June 17 resumption of play on Thursday, with the remaining 92 games in a disrupted 2019-20 campaign to be finished this summer.
Kante was granted compassionate leave by Chelsea to stay away from training after expressing fears over the coronavirus last week, raising serious doubts as to whether he'd be willing to feature in their remaining nine EPL games.
The Blues currently occupy the final Champions League qualifying berth in fourth place, but only three points separate themselves and fifth-placed Manchester United.
Kante was given the full support of the club's board and Lampard, though it is understood he has been running and training individually this week - having previously followed a personalised home programme.
The EPL star was pictured attending the first day of phase one training last week, but informed the club of his stance and missed sessions over concerns surrounding safety.
That request was met with understanding and Lampard has been patient, even with Kante being one of his most important players during an EPL season that could still end with an underwhelming finish from Chelsea's perspective.
As I reported yesterday, Lampard has been working to allay Kante's fears and those talks have had a positive impact on the France international - which is a welcome boost for them.
EPL star Kante yet to resume contact training
However, the World Cup winner is not yet confident enough to feature in contact training with his teammates. It remains to be seen whether he'll be available for selection when Chelsea face relegation-threatened Aston Villa in their first fixture back next month.
Kante's situation is a delicate one, considering elder brother Niama died of a heart attack shortly before the 2018 World Cup. He also lost his father when he was 11 and has largely remained indoors with one of his brothers since the season was suspended in March.
He experienced a health scare of his own when he collapsed in-front of shocked teammates at the club's training ground two years ago. Tests did not reveal any heart concerns, though he missed their next game and those concerns are justified given the circumstances.
According to the Office for National Statistics, black men and women are twice as likely die from coronavirus as white people in England and Wales.
There have been 12 positive cases from 2,752 EPL players and staff tested so far.
According to the Telegraph, the EPL star midfielder could be willing to make a full return at some stage but the club will continue to avoid pressuring him into a decision while his other teammates continue working together in small groups.
No timeframe has been put on his return to group sessions, so it's possible he misses the season's resumption date if not deemed sufficiently up to speed.
