Enzo Maresca allays Wesley Fofana injury concerns

Today at 01:32 PM

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In what seems like an every-match task, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has had to address concerns over yet another potential injury, this time involving Wesley Fofana.

Fofana unfortunately is no stranger to injuries, having spent the vast majority of the past two years on the sidelines with a couple different knee problems, including an ACL that cost him all of last season. His return has been understandably very carefully managed, even to the point of leaving him off our UEFA Conference League squad for the six matches of the group stage league phase.

So when he was seen limping around after our most excellent 3-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday, with his left knee wrapped heavily enough with ice to make it look something more serious than just normal post-match or post-injury recovery, concerns quickly arose.

But according to Maresca, there is no problem, adding that Fofana's substitution just before the hour-mark was tactical rather than anything else.

"No, no, no [it's not serious]. The reason why we changed him is because we try to protect him a little bit. In the second-half, they changed Kudus to this side and it was probably a big risk to keep him but there is not any injury.

"Wes is a player I really love and we love with Wes because he is doing fantastic after one year of injury. For any player that is out for a year, it is not easy and he is doing top. This is the only thing we want from him."

-Enzo Maresca; source: Football.London

Wes certainly had his hands full with West Ham left winger Crysencio Summerville, picking up a yellow card and getting away with a bit of a pullback in the penalty box (seen them given!), so the prospect of then having to deal with Mohammed Kudus (who switched wings after Summerville was substituted) was indeed "a big risk". Axel Disasi did alright in his stead despite being a risky option himself in the continuing absences of Malo Gusto and Reece James. Hopefully one of those two can return to full fitness soon.

As far as Fofana, post-ACL recovery does involve a lot of icing and swelling-management, and that's probably what's going on with him in this case as well.