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| Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on January 4, 2022 in Cobham, England. |
N’Golo Kante and Ruben
Loftus-Cheek will not travel with Chelsea on
their pre-season tour of the United States because of their Covid-19 vaccination
status.
The Stamford Bridge club confirmed on Saturday that
the two midfielders will not feature in their three-stop tour as Thomas Tuchel gears
his squad up for the new season.
The current entry rules for the United States
stipulate that only those with an exception or US citizens can enter the
country if unvaccinated.
It is still not possible to enter the US if you are
unvaccinated but have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last year.
It remains unclear whether Kante and Loftus-Cheek
are totally unvaccinated or have received just one dose of the vaccine.
France international Kante, 31, tested positive for
the virus ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League group stage fixture against
Juventus last September.
At the time, Tuchel did not disclose Kante’s
vaccination status but said: ‘Of course we take actions and then are
responsible for them.
‘We don’t like to lose players. But we are not now
angry with N’Golo. We are concerned about him, as we are with any injured
players who get a kick in a game.’
As well as the Juventus match, Kante also missed a
Premier League fixture with Southampton as he isolated for 10 days.
Loftus-Cheek, 26, had Covid at the beginning of last
season and underwent the 10 days of isolation that remains mandatory at the
time.
He also had the virus in December, ruling him out of
a number of Premier League games over the busy Christmas period.
Chelsea begin their pre-season tour against Club
America from Mexico in Las Vegas on July 16, before heading to North Carolina
to face MLS team Charlotte FC on July 20.
They round off their trip by facing London rivals
Arsenal in Orlando on July 23.
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