Enzo Maresca reveals Wesley Fofana could miss rest of the season as Chelsea defender faces fresh injury woes

Fofana, 24, has not played since December 1, when he was forced off during Chelsea's match against Aston Villa. Initially thought to be a minor issue, Maresca has now confirmed that the injury is far worse than anticipated.

“Unfortunately, Wes (Fofana) will be out for a very long time. He (Fofana) could be out for the season. We don’t know exactly if it will be for the entire season, he could be out for part of the season," Maresca told reporters.

“Every time you ask me about Wes, I have said many times that I am in love with Wes. Wes is that kind of defender who can give you the chance to press and be aggressive, to leave him one-v-one with Ollie Watkins on the pitch. It was the first update (after the Aston Villa game), the first information we had. On making the test we realised it (Fofana’s injury) was worse than what we thought at the beginning.”

The Chelsea manager also revealed that tests indicated a severe tear in Fofana’s hamstring.

“Yes (it is a bad tear). It is his hamstring and unfortunately, we are going to lose him for a while," he said.

“I don’t think this injury can be compared with the rest. This one is muscular and I don’t think previously he had any muscular problem. It is a different kind of injury. He is a bit unlucky but he will be back, and he will be back hopefully the same as before his injury.”

Adding to the club's concerns, fellow defender Benoit Badiashile is also nursing an injury and is not expected back until February.

"Benoit (Badiashile) will be out at least until February. The only two big (injury) updates are on Wes Fofana and Benoit," Maresca informed.

“We did exactly the same with Benoit Badiashile before his injury one-v-one with Dominic Solanke on the pitch and they can deal with that. It is very difficult to find that kind of defender. Unfortunately, both are injured and we are trying to find a solution. But for sure, Wes is a huge loss."

Fofana’s career has been plagued by injuries since joining Chelsea from Leicester City in 2022. Recurring setbacks, including an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in July 2023 ruled him out for the entire 2023/24 season.

The French international's injury history dates back further, with a broken leg in August 2021 while playing for Leicester. This incident sidelined him for eight months, causing him to miss much of the 2021/22 season. Despite his potential and early promise, these injuries have limited him to just 32 appearances for Chelsea.

Maresca now faces the daunting task of reshuffling their defence to cope with the losses of Fofana and Badiashile with Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo expected to slot in at the heart of defence. The Blues will be back in action against fellow London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday at Selhurst Park.