N'Golo Kante's injury relapse is not as serious as France and Chelsea first feared, and it is hoped the midfielder will return in time for next month's World Cup in Qatar.
Kante, who first sustained his hamstring injury during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Tottenham in August, has been steadily building fitness in training at Cobham in an effort to return ahead of the major tournament.
But the 31-year-old has since suffered an aggravation to the injury, casting doubt over his availability ahead of Didier Deschamps' squad selection in three weeks time.
Despite the setback, Sportsmail understands that the midfielder is likely to miss approximately two more weeks of action at Chelsea.