Wesley Fofana could miss the entire 2023/24 season after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.
The 22-year-old signed for Chelsea from Leicester for £69m ($90.3m) on a six-year deal that expires in June, 2029. He made his competitive debut for France in June, playing 90 minutes against Gibraltar.
Fofana's injury could prompt a change in Mauricio Pochettino's plans for the upcoming campaign. He will be hoping to guide the Blues back into the Champions League places in his first season in the job.
The Sporting News looks at the latest news regarding Fofana's injury and when he might return.
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How long is Wesley Fofana out for?
News of Fofana's injury broke out when he was not included in Chelsea's squad for their preseason tour in the USA. It has now been confirmed that the defender ruptured his ACL.
A statement released by Chelsea said:
"Defender Wesley Fofana has undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery. The 22-year-old did not travel to America for the club's preseason tour due to specialist medical assessments, which unfortunately confirmed that an operation would be required.
"Wesley will now begin his recovery and work with the club's medical department at Cobham during his rehabilitation phase."
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ACL injuries usually take around nine months to recover from, with some lasting even longer. It is likely that Fofana will miss the majority of the 2023/24 season – if not all of it. It could also damage his hopes of making the France squad for the 2024 European Championships in Germany.
Wesley Fofana injury history
Many Chelsea fans, as well as Leicester supporters, may not be very surprised with this latest news due to the defender's injury history. He has endured six previous knee injuries in his career, including two in the 2022/23 season.
The longest injury in his career so far came during his time with Leicester. A fibula fracture kept Fofana out for over 200 days, causing him to miss 41 matches for the Foxes.
Here are all the injuries Fofana has suffered during his professional career:
| Season | Injury | Games missed |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | Knee injury | 9 |
| 2022/23 | Knee injury | 11 |
| 2021/22 | Fibula fracture | 41 |
| 2020/21 | Thigh muscle strain | 8 |
| 2020/21 | Knee injury | 1 |
| 2020/21 | Knee injury | 0 |
| 2019/20 | Knee injury | 2 |
| 2019/20 | Knee injury | 10 |
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Will Chelsea replace Wesley Fofana?
Pochettino and the Chelsea board now have a key decision to make ahead the new season. They must decide whether or not to buy, or perhaps loan, a new defender to cover for Fofana.
Thiago Silva can play on the right side of a centre-back pairing, but the 38-year-old may struggle to play all 38 league matches for Chelsea. Trevoh Chalobah is another option for the position, however he is linked with a move away from the club.
Levi Colwill has returned to the Chelsea setup following a season-long loan with Brighton, where he helped them qualify for the Europa League. Although he usually operates on the left side of defence, he could be asked to play on the right this season. He is wanted by many clubs, including Brighton, but the Blues insist that the defender is not for sale.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Chelsea could explore the market for a new defender, but that is likely to take place after a third bid for Brighton's Moises Caicedo.