This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has made a significant step towards a return to action, resuming contact training at the club's Cobham training ground on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old French World Cup winner had been allowed to continue training at home when his teammates returned to training last month due to fears over coronavirus.
According to Chelsea, Kante was back with the main group today as training continues to ramp up ahead of the Premier League restart next week.
Notably, the latest round of testing on Premier League players and staff revealed zero positive cases from 1,195 tests, a positive sign for the league's return.
However, Kante's return to contact training comes as a reminder of the health risks associated with the virus, particularly for black and ethnic minorities, as highlighted by the Office for National Statistics.
It's worth noting that Kante has experienced a health scare in the past, collapsing at Chelsea's training ground two years ago, although tests did not reveal any heart concerns.
Additionally, Kante's elder brother Niamh died of a heart attack shortly before the 2018 World Cup.
While Kante is not expected to be match fit in time for Chelsea's opening game of 'Project Restart' against Aston Villa on June 21, he could now play an important role in the run-in as Chelsea aim to hold onto a place in the Premier League's top four.
Frank Lampard's men hold a three-point advantage over Manchester United with nine games of the season to play.
