Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has encountered a major setback in his recovery from an hamstring injury as Manager Enzo Maresca revealed on Friday that he might be unavailable for the remaining part of the season, Afrosport reports.
Since Joining Chelsea, Fofana has not been able to get a proper run of games due to injury as he was also missed the entire 2023-24 season due to an anterior cruciate injury suffered during pre-season.
However, that was not the case for the Frenchman this season as he started on a strong foot displaying some unusual consistency which saw him featuring in all Premier League games before the injury struck.
The 24-year-old was very crucial to the setup of the club’s defense as it was evident after his injury as the club’s form has also dipped. Maresca also stated that Benoit Badashile could be back by February.
“Unfortunately Wes will be out for a very long time and Benoit will be out for at least until February,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Saturday’s London derby away at Crystal Palace.
“Unfortunately he [Fofana] could be out for the season. We don’t know exactly but he could be out for part of the season.”
Furthermore Maresca brought some good news as he reveals that Reece James is back and will feature and also claims that Romeo Lavia’s return is very imminent.
“Reece is back from the last game and in line for some minutes, while Romeo [Lavia] is very close to returning, he has started to work with us,” Maresca added.
“Romeo, we all consider him a top player, but the most important thing is for him to be fit. Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] is still out.”
The Blues wil be looking to keep their spot in the top four when take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
