Chelsea star N'Golo Kante has made a shocking promise to teammates if he scores in his first game back from injury
Chelsea star N'Golo Kante has promised his teammates a knee slide celebration if he plays and scores against Everton on March 18. Kante is set to return to action against the Toffees for the first time since August.
His last appearance came during the 2-2 draw against Tottenham at the start of the season. Thomas Tuchel was still in charge of the team at that point in time. The Frenchman suffered a serious hamstring injury and had to undergo surgery as a result.
However, he is finally set to return after a long hiatus. If Kante scores against Everton, fans might see an uncharacteristic knee slide celebration from him. Considering the player's humble and down-to-earth attitude, it might be a surprising move. Kante said (via GiveMESsport):
“If I score first game, I’ll knee slide!”
The idea of the celebration was proposed by Ben Chilwell.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter spoke about Kante's return from his prolonged absence. He said:
"It would be the first time so it's fantastic. Managers before me have spoken very highly of N'Golo because he's a top, top player. He's been a huge miss to us. That's not to say the other players haven't given absolutely everything because they have, but N'Golo Kante is N'Golo Kante. A top player."
He added:
"It's great for us he's back. We need to be mindful of the fact he's had a long injury and we need to take the next steps to get him up to speed in the Premier League, which is what we'll do."
Since joining the Blues from Leicester City in 2016, Kante has been a crucial player for the west Londoners in the middle of the park. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has made a total of 262 appearances for Chelsea in his career so far.
Can Chelsea keep up their good run of form?
Chelsea have endured a nightmarish run of form in recent months. They are tenth in the Premier League table with 37 points from 26 matches.
The Blues, however, have shown signs of improvement in their latest games as Potter's team have won their last two league matches.
Chelsea also secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League by defeating Borussia Dortmund over two legs. The Stamford Bridge club will play Real Madrid in a riveting last eight encounter.