Chelsea have been handed a huge boost regarding Wesley Fofana’s injury having learnt that he has managed to steer clear of a long-term absence.
The £75million defender suffered a knee injury during the first half of the Blues’ 3-0 cruise against Italian champions AC Milan in midweek. He was eventually replaced by fellow centre-half Trevoh Chalobah and was later pictured leaving Stamford Bridge on crutches - leading to serious concern among the Chelsea faithful.
Even new Blues boss Graham Potter admitted his worry over Fofana’s problem, although he would not be drawn on the specifics, as the defender was yet to undergo scans.
Speaking after the win over Milan, the former Brighton manager said: “We don’t know the extent yet, that’s the one disappointing thing about the evening. We need to scan and fingers crossed.
“I wouldn’t want to speculate on it now but we’re concerned and we just need to wait until tomorrow and get it scanned and hope for the best. These things happen. He’s a young guy, he’s a strong guy, we’ll help him and support him.”
Fortunately for the Blues, Potter’s concern looks to have been allayed as Fofana has avoided another serious injury, having broken his leg with former club Leicester.
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According to The Sun, the 21-year-old was sent for a scan to determine the severity of his problem and it has been revealed that the damage was limited to a sprain in his knee, which will only keep him restricted to the sidelines for a few weeks.
Fofana will miss this weekend’s clash with Wolves, as well as the return fixture against AC Milan. He could also be on the sidelines for Premier League showdowns against Aston Villa, Brentford and Manchester United, but could make his return after that.
It remains to be seen whether Fofana's injury will impact his hopes of joining the France squad for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. He is yet to make his debut for the reigning world champions but his form since arriving in England from Saint-Etienne looked set to earn him senior international recognition.
Fofana faces plenty of competition from the likes of United’s Raphael Varane, Barcelona ’s Jules Kounde, Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and, more recently, Arsenal starlet William Saliba.
Elsewhere at Chelsea, Fofana’s compatriot N’Golo Kante could potentially make his return to action having been out since mid-August with a thigh injury. He returned to training recently and it remains to be seen if he is fit enough to play against Wolves this weekend.
