Fear amongst Chelsea would have accelerated at some pace in the week when it was confirmed that Thiago Silva had damaged ligaments in his knee. The 38-year-old was forced off in last week's defeat to Tottenham in the first half to leave Graham Potter with a gaping hole in his backline.
In a season long-filled with inconsistent performances and uninspiring individual outings, Silva has been one of, if not the, best players since Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel in September. The Brazilian has been a rock in the Blues backline and has produced a number of game-defining moments.
The experienced centre-back recently extended his stay at Stamford Bridge for a further 12 months, meaning he will be 39 when he eventually ends his four-year stay in London. When it comes to it, replacing Silva will be a tough task considering the magnitude and quality the South American brings.
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RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol has been a long-term target by the club but could eventually cost £94m due to a release clause in the Croatian's contract set to become active in 2024. Chelsea are not short on centre-back options currently at the club after the summer arrivals of Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana.
The former has struggled to fully adapt to English football and has been tipped as one of the many players expected to depart at the end of the season. But it's an entirely different circumstance for Fofana - who cost £75m from Leicester City.
Fofana has only made eight appearances for the Blues after missing the majority of the first six months of his career in west London due to a long-term knee injury. The 22-year-old came off the bench in the defeats to Southampton and Spurs before being named in Potter's starting XI for the first time since October 5 against Leeds.
Alongside Benoit Badiashile and Koulibaly in a back three, Fofana steered Chelsea to their first clean sheet in five whilst scoring the game's winner with a powerful header in the second-half. At only 22, Fofana is on course to lead the way in the Blues defence for years to come.
In August, Todd Boehly highlighted the importance of inheriting a world-class defender who will play a part in the club's future for years to come. He said: "Wesley is a hugely promising defender who has already proven his quality in the Premier League at a young age. We are delighted we were able to bring one of Europe’s most exciting talents to Chelsea and further strengthen that area of our squad, both for this season and many more to come."
Co-controlling owners Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano seconded Boehly comments upon Fofana's arrival. They said: "We continue to build for success and a bright long-term future for Chelsea, and Wesley fits our vision perfectly.
"He is a player who can make an impact on the squad immediately, while at his age he will only improve further going forward. We are excited to see what he can achieve at Chelsea."
If Fofana's performance against Leeds is a sign of things to come, Chelsea may have their Silva replacement. Former Leicester City striker Gary Lineker was full of praise for the ex-Foxes man, saying on MOTD: "I said to some friends of mine who support Chelsea, you don't know how good this kid is yet.
"He's been injured the whole time at Chelsea basically. But he's very special."
Potter was also vocal in the Frenchman's performance against Leeds. "We've missed him," he said. "I think it was the Milan game at home when he suffered his injury and that was a long time ago.
"He brings something different: physicality, defends big spaces, allows us to defend a little higher because has the pace to recover. In the box, he can attack the ball well. He's an important player for us."
Fears over how Chelsea will fare without Silva will remain for the remainder of the season. But Fofana has all the attributes to replace the Brazilian for the future.
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