Injured Chelsea star gives update with gruelling training pic after long layoff as he hints at return to football

WESLEY FOFANA has hinted that his return to Chelsea’s first-team may happen sooner rather than later.

The centre-back, 22, posted a picture on his Instagram story of himself working hard in Chelsea‘s Cobham gym.

Reuters

Fofana was not expected to feature this season[/caption]

Instagram @lawestt_

But his Instagram story has offered some hope[/caption]

The defender looked to be doing sit ups and was hooked up to a machine that was strapped around his thigh.

Fofana has had rotten luck with injuries stemming all the way back to 2021.

Then still playing for Leicester, the defender suffered a broken leg on the eve of the 2021-22 season against Villareal which ruled him out for seven months.

After returning in March 2022 to play the closing stages of the season for Leicester, he made the £70million transfer to Chelsea that summer.

The defender then suffered a knee injury in Chelsea colours in October of that year which ruled him out until February 2023.

After returning, he played 13 times for the Blues before suffering the devastating blow of an ACL injury in pre-season.

A time frame has not been put on his return and he was widely expected to miss the entirety of this season.

But his Instagram story does offer some hope for Chelsea fans that they may see him before this season ends.

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When asked about Fofana’s latest injury in the summer, manager Mauricio Pochettino said that he and his staff are keen to give Fofana all the support they can for him to return to the team.

He said: “We can only help him and to be again with the team we know it is tough. We need to help him and wish him all the best. We need to keep going, the competition is there. The competition doesn’t wait for anyone and we need to be ready.”

On whether Fofana could feature this season, Pochettino said: “I hope yes. You have all of the information that this is difficult. He is evolving in a different way but hopefully his recovery goes very well.”

Christopher Nkunku is another long-term absentee with a knee injury that Blues fans could see soon.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said after Chelsea’s 4-1 victory over Tottenham that he has hope that Nkunku may be back after the November international break.