Chelsea hopeful injured defender will be available in November

Chelsea are enjoying a strong run of form in the Premier League and Champions League, and they have done it without one of their top transfer signings from last summer. Wesley Fofana, who joined the club for an initial £70 million, missed Chelsea’s last two league games and is set to remain out of action.  

The centre-back has appeared in just six games since arriving from Leicester City due to injuries and is set to miss the rest of October following a knee problem. The good news for Chelsea is Fofana will likely return to the squad in November.  

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Fofana is one of Chelsea’s only key players on the sidelines with an injury. Manager Graham Potter is keeping players fit with the World Cup break on the horizon.

Unfortunately, Fofana is not one of those fit at the moment, but he could return after the Premier League breaks up for the FIFA World Cup.  

The defender has now missed seven matches for Chelsea following the team’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Fofana suffered his latest knee injury against AC Milan in the Champions League group stage. He scored a goal just before suffering the knee injury to open his account for the Blues.  

When will Wesley Fofana be back?

Manager Potter spoke before the Aston Villa win, saying Fofana wouldn’t likely return to the team until after the World Cup in Qatar. The Premier League will take off until December allowing Fofana to train with the Chelsea squad that isn’t at the World Cup during the four-week break.  

Although Potter doesn’t believe Fofana will be available until post-World Cup, sports journalist Simon Phillips claims Chelsea are hopeful the defender can play before the Premier League breaks up for the tournament. 

Fofana’s injury is “touch and go” at the moment. His timeline to return could be shortened if strides are made in the healing process.  

Why do Chelsea need Fofana back quickly?

Chelsea will play four matches in October following the win at Aston Villa. The Blues will then play four matches from November 1 to November 12, as they average a match every three days.

The team will then break up with some squad members going to Qatar for the World Cup 2022.  

The number of Premier League and Champions League matches before the World Cup will test Chelsea’s squad strength. Injuries are likely to be an issue in the second half of the season, with many players experiencing too much football.  

Potter will hope to get Fofana back soon to rest other important defensive players such as Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly. Silva is now 38 years old and could need some additional rest to remain fit for selection. Silva is likely to play at the World Cup with Brazil, while 31-year-old centre-back Koulibaly will captain Senegal at the tournament.