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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ed Aarons in Los Angeles

Chelsea feel vaccine-enforced absence of Kanté and Loftus-Cheek on US tour

N’Golo Kanté played for a Chelsea under-21s side along with Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a friendly against Boreham Wood on Friday.
N’Golo Kanté played for a Chelsea under-21s side along with Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a friendly against Boreham Wood on Friday. Photograph: Clive Howes/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel has admitted the absence of N’Golo Kanté and Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States because of their Covid vaccination status is “far from ideal” as they prepare for the new Premier League campaign.

Neither midfielder travelled with the squad when they flew out to Los Angeles last weekend because entry rules for the US say all foreign visitors over 18 must be double-vaccinated. While it is unclear whether the two players are unvaccinated or had received only one dose, both Kanté and Loftus-Cheek tested positive for Covid-19 at the start of last season.

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