Wesley Fofana ‘appears to dismiss Enzo Maresca’s claim about his season-ending injury and insists he WILL be back as early as February’

Wesley Fofana has dismissed claims he will be out of action for the rest of the season after sustaining a hamstring injury during Chelsea‘s 3-0 win over Aston Villa in December. 

The 24-year-old French centre-back sustained the injury in an unfortunate moment, stepping on the ball while challenging Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the December 1 Premier League clash. 

At the time, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca initially estimated Fofana would be sidelined for ‘at least three, four, five weeks.’ 

However, in a subsequent update, Maresca described the injury as a significant setback, cautioning fans that Fofana would be out for the remainder of the season. 

According to L’Equipe, Chelsea’s medical team has recommended surgery for Wesley Fofana to aid his recovery from the hamstring injury, with an expected recovery time of at least three months.

However, the 24-year-old France international is reportedly reluctant to undergo surgery. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca also expressed his belief that surgery might not be necessary but maintained that Fofana would likely miss the remainder of the season.

The 24-year-old French centre-back sustained the injury in an unfortunate moment, stepping on the ball while challenging Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the December 1 clash

At the time, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca initially estimated Fofana would be sidelined for ‘at least three, four, five weeks’ before stating it would be for the rest of the season

Despite these assertions, Fofana dismissed the claims on Instagram [shared via @Blue_Footy on X]. The defender took to social media to reassure a fan that he would not miss the end of the season and questioned why Maresca had suggested otherwise.

Translated from French, Fofana is said to have written: ‘It’s not true! I’m not out for the rest of the season, I don’t know why he [Maresca] said that. I will be back in 4-6 weeks.’

The news will come as a relief to Chelsea fans, as Fofana’s expected recovery timeline could see him return for the Blues’ Premier League clash against Brighton on February 14.

In the meantime, the Chelsea manager handed teenager Josh Acheampong his full debut during the match against Crystal Palace. Despite Chelsea conceding a late equaliser, Acheampong impressed with a standout performance.

Reflecting on the youngster’s display, Maresca praised him, saying: ‘I think, for sure, Josh was our best player. Considering his age and that it was his first game, he showed incredible composure.

‘Josh, for me, can become a top player for this club, but he needs the right pathway and timing. For young players, it’s crucial to introduce them at the right moment.

‘Even if we don’t buy or sell players, Josh has proven he’s good enough. We already knew his quality. With Wes [Fofana] and Benoît [Badiashile] injured, we’ll see what decisions are made moving forward.’