Enzo Maresca Provides Update on Wesley Fofana’s Injury

Key Points:

• Wesley Fofana out with serious hamstring injury.
• Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirms Fofana could miss the rest of the season.
• Positive injury updates for other players like Reece James and Romeo Lavia.

Wesley Fofana Could Miss Rest of the Season Due to Injury

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Wesley Fofana’s hamstring injury is worse than initially expected, and the French defender may be out for the rest of the season. Fofana, who had been plagued by injuries since joining Chelsea from Leicester City for £69.5 million in 2022, suffered a setback in December with a hamstring problem. While he initially downplayed the injury, Maresca has now admitted the severity of the issue.

Fofana had been sidelined for significant periods in the past, first with a knee injury in October 2022, and then a torn cruciate ligament at the end of his debut season. After battling back to fitness for the start of the current campaign, he featured in 12 of Chelsea’s first 13 Premier League games. Unfortunately, it seems his season may be cut short.

Maressa revealed, “Wes will be out for a very long time. Unfortunately, he could be out for the season. We don’t know exactly, but he could be out for part of the season.” However, he did clarify that surgery is not needed “for the moment.”

Positive Injury Updates for Chelsea

While Fofana faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Maresca did provide some positive updates for Chelsea ahead of their match against Crystal Palace. Club captain Reece James, who has struggled with injuries all season, is “in line for some minutes” at Selhurst Park after a lengthy recovery from a hamstring issue. James made the bench for Chelsea’s recent 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town and is expected to feature in their upcoming Premier League fixture.

Other Chelsea injury updates include Benoit Badiashile, who is not expected to return until February, and midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who remains sidelined with a knock. However, there is a promising update on Romeo Lavia, with Maresca stating that the player is “very close to returning.”