Chelsea confirm Wesley Fofana has undergone surgery on significant knee injury
Chelsea have confirmed that Wesley Fofana has undergone surgery on a significant knee injury amid claims the Frenchman has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
The centre-back, who moved to Stamford Bridge in an £80million deal from Leicester City last summer, has been hampered by injuries over the past few years but had worked his way back to full fitness in the second half of last season.
He was a surprise absentee from Chelsea’s pre-season tour squad for their trip to the United States, however, with a statement on Monday simply referencing a ‘knee injury’.
Reports of ACL tear
Reports soon emerged claiming Fofana had ruptured his ACL and would not play again this year, with Chelsea now issuing a stament confirming the surgery – though they stopped short of putting a timeframe on his recovery.
‘Defender Wesley Fofana has undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery,’ read the statement released on Tuesday.
‘The 22-year-old did not travel to America for the club’s pre-season 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.’
Recovery time
Depending on the severity of a tear, it usually takes between six months and a year to fully recover from an ACL injury – though reconstruction can be as little as three months.
The Frenchman arrived at Stamford Bridge a few months after recovering from a fractured fibula – an injury that was also sustained in pre-season with Leicester back in the summer of 2021.
It took Fofana 223 days to return from that injury – the biggest lay-off of his career – and just a few months after joining Chelsea he suffered a knee injury playing against AC Milan in the Champions League.
That caused him to miss the World Cup and he was hit by another setback during his recovery when he sprained his knee in a behind-closer-doors friendly against Brentford just before the Premier League was set to resume.
Seven knee injuries
In total, dating back to his time at Saint-Etienne, Fofana has now had seven different knee injuries that have resulted in him missing 219 days of action – and that does not include his latest lay-off.
Fofana’s injury limits the options available to Mauricio Pochettino in the centre of his defence, with Benoit Badiashile also on the sidelines after picking up a serious hamstring injury at the end of last season.
That leaves Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah as the only fit centre-backs at Pochettino’s disposal – though the latter had been expected to be sold.
There had been speculation surrounding the future of Colwill as well, with Brighton eager to sign him permanently after his impressive loan spell, but there is now virtually zero chance of the England Under-21 star being allowed to leave.
Conclusion
Wesley Fofana’s injury is yet another setback in what has been a difficult few years for the Frenchman. He has now suffered seven knee injuries in total, and it is unclear how long it will take for him to make a full recovery. In the meantime, Chelsea will have to rely on Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah in defence.
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