"It seems like a muscle injury" - Chelsea suffer huge injury blow as Thomas Tuchel says key player could face long spell on sidelines

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that N'Golo Kante suffered a hamstring injury in the thrilling 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Kante started the game at Stamford Bridge, putting on a fabulous display in what was a heated clash before getting into a tangle with Yves Bissouma seven minutes from time. The Frenchman seemed to be in pain and was replaced a minute later by Conor Gallagher.

Speaking after the game, Tuchel confirmed that Kante had injured his hamstring, adding that the player felt some discomfort. The Chelsea boss said (as quoted by The Sun):

"It seems like a muscle injury, a hamstring. He (Kante) said he feels it pretty strong, so not good."

Kante played a key role as the Blues dominated Spurs for much of the contest. The midfielder completed 84% of his passes and laid out a key pass. He also completed two of his four attempted dribbles and won two ground duels, making a tackle and an interception apiece too.

It will be interesting to see who the Blues replace him with. They do have two options in Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. However, Kovacic missed the game against Spurs with a knee injury, while Loftus-Cheek curiously started as a right wing-back.

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Chelsea and Tottenham share spoils in fiery clash

Chelsea have often gotten the better of Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. In fact, Spurs have won just once at the stadium in the Premier League era, back in 2018 when the Blues were managed by Spurs' current boss Antonio Conte.

Spurs seemed to be heading for yet another reverse, as Tuchel's men put in an excellent first-half performance. The hosts led at the break, thanks to Kalidou Koulibaly's brilliant volley from Marc Cucurella's corner.

However, an improved second-half display saw Spurs get back on level terms through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's strike from distance. Few really focused on the goal, though, as the touchline antics from both benches took centre-stage.

Reece James then put Chelsea back in front, finishing from Raheem Sterling's perfectly weighted pass. However, there was late drama, as Harry Kane, a peripheral figure for the entire game, nodded home from a corner in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

The Blues will next head to Leeds United on August 21, while Spurs take on Wolverhampton Wanderers a day earlier.