It was in October that Wesley Fofana was the coolest man in the box as the ball scrambled between Chelsea and AC Milan bodies. The Frenchman looked to tear away towards the corner flag before quickly being swarmed by his teammates. It had been a tumultuous start to Fofana's career that combined solid outings, a disappointing error and a chance of manager.
On that night, his first Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, jubilation reigned. That goal felt like it was a moment that would bring life into Fofana's Chelsea career, even if it was not among his primary duties.
However, it would be just 10 minutes later he was down and receiving treatment on an injury. He attempted to continue but was soon being replaced and receiving a comforting hug from Ben Chilwell, with disappointment clear on his face. The 22-year-old left the stadium on crutches and wouldn't be seen in a first team match again for four months.
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Securing the signature of Wesley Fofana was a drawn out and arduous process, and one that ran much closer to the transfer deadline than was hoped for at the time. The Blues were forced to part with an initial £70million but the deal could eventually reach a figure greater than £80million.
At that stage, Chelsea's plan was for success in the present and the future, with Fofana a player that suited that philosophy down to the ground. Unfortunately, the fractious nature of his first weeks at the club ensured both club and player have been forced to wait to see what he can achieve representing the west London side.
Upon landing the former Leicester ace, Thomas Tuchel could not speak highly enough of the singing.
"He is that kind of profile that we identified very early to replace Toni [Rudiger] and Andreas [Christensen]," explained the German coach. "We are very happy that we stayed patient, super happy that Todd [Boehly] was relentless on it and never gave up. We managed to fulfil this transfer.
"Wesley is young, he's fast, he's very, very strong in set-pieces, defending and attacking. He was one of the very early targets to replace our guys that left the club."
Chilwell quickly added his voice to those praising his teammate following Fofana's debut too, adding: "Massive kudos to Wes. He’s only just come in, he’s trained with us twice. Then he starts today, his first game at Stamford Bridge, it was a brilliant performance by him and many more to come. To come in at such a young age and gel so quickly into the group is massive."
While he didn't show it in every outing, this was a player present to make an impact. Everyone was made to wait instead.
Fofana went through extensive recovery before readying himself to make a return following the World Cup break. Injury in a friendly against Brentford followed, however. He continued his work and was finally ready to join the first team in February, albeit in less than ideal circumstances.
With Thiago Silva rested, Fofana was introduced to a struggling backline against Southampton. He replaced Kalidou Koulibaly after 45 minutes with the Blues down to James Ward Prowse's goal but what followed was a leader's performance. He was not frightened to antagonise the opposition or demand more and crucially played well. He brought an edge that Chelsea lacked that day and even ensured that the players acknowledged supporters in the loss.
One week later, Fofana was once again introduced from the bench to fulfill Silva's role. This time due to a knee injury to the Chelsea defender. More minutes for the Frenchman who joined in the summer in a bid to help fill the gap left by Rudiger and Christensen.
Leeds United on Saturday could present that very challenge, though the task is perhaps even greater given the quality that Silva has displayed over the course of the season. Potter has the option to play Koulibaly, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah, but his recent introductions signal that he may be required to partner one of those figures.
"I've played two games now and it was great to be back on the pitch," said Fofana. "I tried to help the team to the maximum and now I just need to push hard to stay fit for the rest of the season. To come back after four months out is a great feeling and I've very happy."
His first task will to be stay fit, but he will have to push hard to be the leader Chelsea require at the back in Silva's absence. Fofana's season starts now.
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