Mauricio Pochettino expects Wesley Fofana to join Chelsea for pre-season
Mauricio Pochettino has revealed some good news for Chelsea star Wesley Fofana, who missed the entire season with an ACL injury he suffered before the start of the campaign. Chelsea signed the French centre-back for a big fee of around £75 million from Leicester City, but with frequent injuries, Fofana has barely been seen on the pitch.
The 23-year-old is currently undergoing rehabilitation, and Pochettino will expect Fofana to return to the team before the start of the pre-season. Chelsea have missed his experience and solidity at the back.
Axel Disasi, 25, had a respectable season despite Chelsea having to make an emergency signing of him from AS Monaco after Fofana’s injury prior to the start of the season. It’s encouraging to note that he was the only defender this season who has been available all the time.
But Pochettino will have a big headache as he will have more options at the back when Fofana returns after the Argentine confirmed he hopes for his return during pre-season, speaking to a reporter ahead of the Brighton & Hove Albion game, via Fabrizio Romano:
“We hope to have Wes Fofana ready and available for pre-season. He is doing well, very positive; we were talking, and we hope he can be available to be part of the group.”.
We have seen time and time again that when Fofana is fit, he is one of the best defenders. He gives our defence different dynamism and offers a great deal of stability up back. He missed most of the previous season due to injury, and he has been sidelined for the entirety of this one as well.
Pochettino will need someone who can step up when Thiago Silva leaves the club after the end of the season and no better defender than Fofana brings that aggressiveness at the back and the ability to read the attackers.
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Chelsea’s medical team must give him a thorough evaluation because if he keeps getting hurt, his prime years will be wasted, and the Blues will have to think about offloading him. Since joining Chelsea, he has suffered many ailments; hopefully, he will be fully recovered and prepared for the preseason.
