Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has admitted he could be forced into giving N’Golo Kante a prolonged rest in a bid to cure his ongoing injury problems.

The 28-year-old’s recovery from a groin strain has been slower than hoped and he will now miss Saturday's Premier League trip to Burnley.

Lampard revealed there is no timescale for his return as he continues to train away from the first team group in an effort to resolve various issues which have blighted his season.

Kante has started just three League matches this season after suffering with knee, ankle and hamstring problems.

There has been some speculation that Kante’s injury concerns date back to a surprise appearance in May’s Europa League Final against Arsenal, when he played the full 90 minutes despite limping out of the final training session having already been a doubt with a tight hamstring.

After facing Burnley, Chelsea host Manchester United in the Carabao Cup before traveling to Watford and when asked how long Kante could be sidelined for, Lampard said: “I just want him fit. He has played a lot of football for four years. He had a big injury off the back of last season.

“So, I think that maybe he is suffering from that big injury and a little fall out from that. I think now it is time to take a small step back just to get his fitness up and be confident that we won’t have a domino effect with small injuries. So, there’s no actual time frame.”

Antonio Rudiger (groin) and Andreas Christensen (hamstring) are also unavailable and although Chelsea have coped well with injuries this season, any further setbacks would place a greater emphasis on the success of their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over their FIFA transfer ban – issued after an investigation into their recruitment of foreign players aged under 18.

Chelsea squad 2019-20 | Injuries, contracts and squad numbers 29 show all Chelsea squad 2019-20 | Injuries, contracts and squad numbers 1/29 We run you through Chelsea's squad for the 2019-20 season... AFP/Getty Images 2/29 Kepa Arrizabalaga Squad Number: 1



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 REUTERS 3/29 Antonio Rudiger Squad Number: 2



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 4/29 Marcos Alonso Squad Number: 3



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AFP/Getty Images 5/29 Andreas Christensen Squad Number: 4



Condition:Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 6/29 Jorginho Squad Number: 5



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AP 7/29 Danny Drinkwater Squad Number: 6



Condition: On loan at Aston Villa



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 8/29 N'Golo Kante Squad Number: 7



Condition: Fit Contract expires: 30/06/2023 PA 9/29 Ross Barkley Squad Number: 8



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 REUTERS 10/29 Tammy Abraham Squad Number: 9



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 11/29 Willian Squad Number: 10



Condition: Injured



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 12/29 Pedro Squad Number: 11



Condition: Unavailable (shoulder injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AP 13/29 Ruben Loftus-Cheek Squad Number: 12



Condition: Ruled out



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Chelsea FC via Getty Images 14/29 Willy Caballero Squad Number: 13



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 15/29 Tiemoue Bakayoko Squad Number: 14



Condition: On loan at Monaco



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 16/29 Kurt Zouma Squad Number: 15



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 17/29 Kenedy Squad Number: 16



Condition: On loan at Getafe



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 18/29 Mateo Kovacic Squad Number: 17



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Action Images via Reuters 19/29 Olivier Giroud Squad Number: 18



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 20/29 Mason Mount Squad Number: 19



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 AFP/Getty Images 21/29 Callum Hudson-Odoi Squad Number: 20



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 22/29 Davide Zappacosta Squad Number: 21



Condition: On loan at AS Roma



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 23/29 Christian Pulisic Squad Number: 22



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 24/29 Michy Batshuayi Squad Number: 23



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images 25/29 Cesar Azpilicueta Squad Number: 28



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Action Images via Reuters 26/29 Fikayo Tomori Squad Number: 29



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 REUTERS 27/29 Emerson Palmieri Squad Number: 33



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 PA 28/29 Ethan Ampadu Squad Number: 44



Condition: On loan at RB Leipzig



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 29/29 Jamal Blackman Squad Number: 40



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images 1/29 We run you through Chelsea's squad for the 2019-20 season... AFP/Getty Images 2/29 Kepa Arrizabalaga Squad Number: 1



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 REUTERS 3/29 Antonio Rudiger Squad Number: 2



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 4/29 Marcos Alonso Squad Number: 3



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AFP/Getty Images 5/29 Andreas Christensen Squad Number: 4



Condition:Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 6/29 Jorginho Squad Number: 5



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AP 7/29 Danny Drinkwater Squad Number: 6



Condition: On loan at Aston Villa



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 8/29 N'Golo Kante Squad Number: 7



Condition: Fit Contract expires: 30/06/2023 PA 9/29 Ross Barkley Squad Number: 8



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 REUTERS 10/29 Tammy Abraham Squad Number: 9



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 11/29 Willian Squad Number: 10



Condition: Injured



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 12/29 Pedro Squad Number: 11



Condition: Unavailable (shoulder injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AP 13/29 Ruben Loftus-Cheek Squad Number: 12



Condition: Ruled out



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Chelsea FC via Getty Images 14/29 Willy Caballero Squad Number: 13



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 15/29 Tiemoue Bakayoko Squad Number: 14



Condition: On loan at Monaco



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 16/29 Kurt Zouma Squad Number: 15



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 17/29 Kenedy Squad Number: 16



Condition: On loan at Getafe



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 18/29 Mateo Kovacic Squad Number: 17



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Action Images via Reuters 19/29 Olivier Giroud Squad Number: 18



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 20/29 Mason Mount Squad Number: 19



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 AFP/Getty Images 21/29 Callum Hudson-Odoi Squad Number: 20



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 22/29 Davide Zappacosta Squad Number: 21



Condition: On loan at AS Roma



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 23/29 Christian Pulisic Squad Number: 22



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 24/29 Michy Batshuayi Squad Number: 23



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images 25/29 Cesar Azpilicueta Squad Number: 28



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Action Images via Reuters 26/29 Fikayo Tomori Squad Number: 29



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 REUTERS 27/29 Emerson Palmieri Squad Number: 33



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 PA 28/29 Ethan Ampadu Squad Number: 44



Condition: On loan at RB Leipzig



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 29/29 Jamal Blackman Squad Number: 40



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images

As things stand, they will be unable to sign any players in January and when asked to provide an update on the situation, Lampard said: “I don’t know, is the answer. I don’t know if we can. It is not in my hands so I wouldn’t want to speculate if we can or can’t [bring any new players in].

“At the minute, we can’t. I am just concentrating on what is ahead of us with the squad we have now. A club like Chelsea, we will always be looking at ‘can we improve the squad?’ If there is the potential to bring players in. At the moment, I don’t know the answer.”

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