Sarri says Kante 50-50 for Europa League final

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri says N’Golo Kante has a 50-50 chance of being fit for the Europa League final, and that the team will be pushed to the brink without him.

Kante hurt his knee in training on Saturday and is fighting against the clock to be fit for Wednesday’s final against Arsenal.

Sarri says there’s a “very little problem with his knee, the problem is the timing,” adding that the chances are 50-50 and his fitness could come down to “the last moment.”

Without Kante, he added, “we are in trouble. For us N’Golo is really very important. He is the only defensive midfielder that we have.”