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Lampard provides update on Kante, Rudiger and Pedro as Chelsea host Sheff Utd.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that N’Golo Kante, Antonio Rudiger and Pedro will all miss Saturday’s game against Sheffield United through injury.

Kante has been plagued by consistent injuries in the early part of the season and will miss Chelsea‘s home clash with the Steel City side, the 28-year-old also set to miss France’s fixtures over the international break.

Pedro will also miss this weekend’s fixture against the newly-promoted side with a hamstring problem, whilst German defender Antonio Rudiger will once again feature for the club’s development side against Spurs on Friday night as he steps up his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

“N’Golo Kante is not fit. Continuation of his ankle injury. I had a conversation with (Didier) Deschamps,” Lampard said at Friday’s pre-match press conference.

“Pedro is not fit, but should be the other side of the international. Antonio Rudiger will play for the U23s tonight.”

Kante’s injury is the latest in a series of setbacks for the midfielder so far this season, the World Cup winner having struggled with a knee problem over the summer.

Lampard admits Chelsea will have to show they can cope in the absence of the influential star, but insists that it is important the club get Kante’s recovery ‘right’ as he works his way back into first-team contention.

“It is a setback,” the former England midfielder admitted.

“My focus then is to make sure that he is okay. We certainly had to get it right. We must cope as a squad and we should show that.”

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