Kartal: We were going to bring Kanté on at half-time

Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal said the team had planned to bring N’Golo Kanté on during the half-time break in the match against Aston Villa. Kartal explained that the planned change did not go ahead because the player said he was not feeling well.

Kartal’s exact words were: “We were going to bring Kanté on at half-time, but he said he wasn’t feeling well.” His comment concerned the substitution that had been considered during the break.

According to Kartal, Kanté therefore did not begin the second half by entering the match as initially planned. Kartal did not provide further details about the nature of the player’s discomfort or when it began.