Chelsea will be without N’Golo Kante for their crunch Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday and the influential midfielder is also likely to miss this weekend’s game against Southampton.

The France international has endured a stop-start beginning to the new season having been hampered by a groin injury, and the 30-year-old is now set for a further spell on the sidelines due to illness, according to Goal.

Kante had been hoping to rediscover his best form for Chelsea after shaking off a groin injury, but he is now back on the sidelines through illness and is set to sit out key Champions League and Premier League fixtures.

The World Cup-winning midfielder is only three outings into a return to action after sitting out three games with a muscular complaint.

He had been catching the eye again, with a starting spot recovered in Thomas Tuchel’s plans, but another enforced spell out of contention is to be taken in as the Blues are forced into more tactical tinkering.