January 4th 2025.
Unfortunately, Wesley Fofana has been hit with another severe injury, causing him to potentially miss the remainder of the season. Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, has confirmed that Fofana's hamstring injury, which he sustained back in December, is worse than initially thought.
The 24-year-old defender has been unable to play since being subbed out in the second half of last month's match against Aston Villa, where Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory. Maresca was unable to provide a definite answer on whether or not Fofana will require surgery, but it is undoubtedly a huge setback for a player who already missed the entire previous season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Sadly, Maresca has shared that Fofana could potentially be out for the entire season, although the exact timeframe is still uncertain. Chelsea will also be without Benoit Badiashile for their upcoming game against Crystal Palace, leaving them heavily reliant on Levi Colwill. However, it is unclear if the Blues will make any moves in the January transfer market to address their defensive injury crisis.
One possible solution could have been to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace. The 25-year-old has been in excellent form for Palace this season, making 14 appearances in all competitions and forming a strong partnership with another former Chelsea player, Marc Guehi. However, it seems that a return to Stamford Bridge is not on the cards as Chelsea did not include a recall clause in Chalobah's contract.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner has even expressed his desire to permanently sign Chalobah, praising his impact on the team. In his press conference ahead of their upcoming match against Chelsea, Glasner was asked about the possibility of a permanent deal for Chalobah. While he did not want to fuel any speculation, the Austrian coach could not hide his satisfaction with the loanee's contributions to the team.
Glasner emphasized that for a deal to happen, all parties involved must be happy - the two clubs and the player. He also highlighted Chalobah's impressive goal-scoring record, with three goals to his name in addition to his defensive duties. Along with Guehi and Daniel Munoz, the defenders have contributed to 40% of the team's total goals, a significant factor in their success this season.
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