“Had to come off”- Graham Potter gives update on Chelsea star after injury scare vs Everton

Wesley Fofana was seen holding an ice pack on his right thigh in Chelsea’s draw vs Everton

Graham Potter has given an update on the injury status of Wesley Fofana after the player was spotted clutching an ice pack to his right thigh after Chelsea and Everton drew 2-2.

The Blues were poised to win their fourth game in a row until Ellis Simms scored in the 89th minute to force a draw, just two minutes after Fofana was forced off the pitch. Kalidou Koulibaly was overpowered by Ellis in a one-on-one matchup before the Everton star hammered a low shot into the bottom left corner.

But, with many Chelsea players playing for their national teams during the March international break, club football will now take a last two-week sabbatical before the start of the new campaign. Fofana, who was called up for the international break for France, could be doubtful for the matches.

This season, injuries have plagued the French international. Since joining Chelsea, the 22-year-old defender has missed the bulk of games due to knee ligament damage, which he picked up in October.

Fofana has only made nine appearances this season, and since making his return in the middle of February the former Leicester City player has been excellent in Thiago Silva’s absence. Potter offered a reason for taking Fofana off in the 87th minute for Trevoh Chalobah and said during the post-game press conference h/t Football.London):

“Wes Fofana had to come off with fatigue, as he has had a long time out. He was feeling his hamstring. Wes was fantastic and defended well.”

We cannot have another injury issue; hopefully, it is only exhaustion. Fofana has been quite outstanding for us; his aggressiveness and quickness at the back give the defence a lot of protection.

He is just 22 years old and will only get better with time. His presence at the back has strengthened our defence because of how smart he is at reading the game and predicting threats. If Kalidou Koulibaly hadn’t lost the one-on-one with Ellis Simms, we could have managed to win 2-1.

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It was a poor result. We should have won this game and it is a shame that our defence let the lead slip two times. Hopefully, this March break is used by Potter to drill his ideas and instructions into the players and come back in April with a team that is more cohesive.

During this time, no matter Fofana’s condition, the former Saint-Etienne should have enough time to recover and recuperate to be back to full fitness when we take on Aston Villa in the league on April 1.