June 3, 2022. N’Golo Kanté played his last match in the jersey of the France team, against Denmark, as part of the Nations League (1-2 defeat). After his withdrawal from the World Cup in Qatar due to a hamstring injury and his departure to Saudi Arabia – a championship considered minor – last summer, many thought that we would never see “NG” again among the Blues. This was without counting on Didier Deschamps who decided to call on his services for Euro 2024 in Germany, almost two years to the day after his last selection. But one question remains unanswered: does the 2018 world champion still have the level – especially physical – to play in a continental competition? To find out, we need to look back at his last two years.
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N’Golo Kanté’s last season at Chelsea, the club he joined in the summer of 2016, is undoubtedly one of the worst of his career. The fault lies with an injury which kept him away from the field for many months. Indeed, from the second Premier League match, against Tottenham, the midfielder was forced to come out at the end of the match, (quite) severely injured in the hamstrings. The ex-Leicester City player tried to come back a few weeks later…but relapsed. He finally underwent surgery and did not return to the pitch until April 1, 2023, against Aston Villa. A long absence which notably deprived him of the World Cup in Qatar. And when we thought he was definitely back, “NG” got injured again, this time in the groin, a little over a month later. He therefore missed the last days of the championship. Only 9 matches played (7 in the Premier League, 2 in the Champions League)…a season to forget.
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Free from any contract at the end of the 2022-2023 financial year, N’Golo Kanté chose to go to Saudi Arabia, to Al-Ittihad. Pre-retirement? That’s what many thought. But in the Saudi Pro League, the former Stade Malherbe Caen player has found a lot of playing time, notably by avoiding injuries. An indisputable starter in the midfield, he played almost all of his team’s matches…and (almost) in their entirety. For the moment, he has participated in 42 matches in all competitions and has more than 3,500 minutes to his credit over the entire 2023-2024 season. He also scored 4 goals and delivered 6 assists. Quite impressive after an almost blank season.
Certainly, the 33-year-old midfielder has had a string of matches since last summer. But what about his physical condition? The intensity of the Saudi championship is in no way comparable to that of the Premier League or the Champions League. Will he be able to perform at the expected level for Euro 2024? For Didier Deschamps, there is no doubt: “He has regained all his physical abilities. From his experience and experience, I am convinced that the French team will be better with him. He has regained his athletic abilities, assured the Blues coach. He played a lot of matches. We can discuss the specific intensity in Saudi Arabia. But he played more than 4,000 minutes during the season [3,641 editor’s note], that’s more than 40 matches. I have no doubts about what made him strong.”
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Seko Fofana, who faced him last week in the Saudi Pro League, agrees: “He always impressed me. I have played against him twice this season and I can tell you that he still has the same level. He has incredible intensity, the Ivorian told L’Équipe. On Friday, what struck me the most was his leadership. There were a lot of absentees in his team and by his play, his races, what he showed, we felt that he was very important. Honestly, he hasn’t lost anything. […] And I had duels with him, and I can assure you that he is still just as hard on impact [laughs].” Very reassuring words for the French team in view of the European Championship. Because the Blues will undoubtedly need an “NG” in top form to win the competition.
