France and Chelsea
midfielder N'Golo Kante has been ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar after
having an operation on a hamstring injury.
Kante, 31, suffered the injury during Chelsea's 2-2 home draw with Tottenham on 14 August.
In a statement, the club said that the
procedure was a success but Kante is expected to be sidelined for four months.
It added that the decision to operate to
repair the damage was "mutual".
"The midfielder visited a specialist with
the club's medical department to explore the options for his rehabilitation
approach," the statement said.
Blues boss Graham Potter said before his side
played Aston Villa last weekend that Kante had faced a setback in his bid to
regain fitness.
Kante, who won the World Cup with France in
2018, joins a growing list of Premier League players who have suffered serious
injuries in the build-up to the showpiece tournament which starts in November.
His Chelsea team-mate Reece James is a major
doubt for England after picking up a knee injury against AC Milan in the
Champion League this month.
On Tuesday, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota's
hopes of representing Portugal were ended after Jurgen Klopp confirmed the
25-year-old will face a "long time" out because of a calf injury.
