Wesley Fofana was spotted with heavy bandaging on his knee post-match (Image: X)
Chelsea’s joy after beating West Ham on Saturday may be short-lived after Wesley Fofana sparked concerns following the final whistle.
The 23-year-old was substituted after just 57 minutes at the London Stadium in what appeared to be a forced change. Fofana had been cautioned earlier in the game for a foul on Crysencio Summerville but looked fairly assured playing in an unfamiliar role at right-back.
The Frenchman was replaced by Axel Disasi for the remainder of the game and initial signs suggested it could be related to an injury.
As his team-mates celebrated at full-time, Fofana’s left leg had been strapped up – indicating he may have suffered another issue with his knee.
That would have been a worrying sight for Chelsea, who spent £70million to sign the centre-back from Leicester City in August 2022.
However, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca played down any fears of a recurrence, insisting he was not withdrawn due to injury.
“No, no, no [it’s not serious]. The reason why we changed him is because we try to protect him a bit,” Maresca said in a news conference after the game.
“In the second half, they changed [Mohammed] Kudus to this side and it was probably a big risk to keep him but there is not any injury.”
Wesley Fofana was brought off on 57 minutes at West Ham (Image: GETTY)
Fofana’s time at Stamford Bridge has been plagued by injury, having sustained serious injuries on two separate occasions. Most recently, he suffered an anterior crucial ligament problem in July 2023.
He made his way back to full fitness in pre-season and has been involved in all five Premier League matches this season under Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea have enough reinforcements to cover for the defender, with Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Renato Veiga all available for selection.
But Maresca is facing a dilemma at right-back if Fofana is unable to play the next game. Captain Reece James is already out injured and not expected to return soon following a setback in his recovery, while Malo Gusto remains sidelined.
In which case, the Italian boss could lean on 18-year-old Josh Acheampong to deputise in the Carabao Cup third round clash against Barrow on Tuesday, allowing Fofana time to recover for the next league clash against Brighton in seven days’ time.
They will go into both games in high spirits following their 3-0 success against West Ham, with Nicolas Jackson bagging a first-half brace before the Senegalese set up Cole Palmer to round off an impressive away victory and leave Maresca pleased.
“Especially [delighted] with the performance and the three points, that is the most important thing,” the manager added. “Also, a clean sheet, so it has been a complete performance. We are very happy.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1951562/Chelsea-Wesley-Fofana-injury