Wesley Fofana has played down his injury scare after it looked like he could be set for another spell on the sidelines at Chelsea.
The Frenchman has endured a wretched start to his career at Stamford Bridge since joining the Blues for £75million in the summer transfer window. After making just six appearances, he was hit by a knee injury in the win over AC Milan in October.
That problem has kept him on the sidelines ever since and ensured he missed out on a place in the France squad for the World Cup. He had finally been able to return to training over recent weeks, though did not feature in the friendly against Aston Villa.
But it appears that he has now suffered a setback to his hopes of being able to feature for the Blues again. The Frenchman was featuring in a behind-closed-doors game between Chelsea and Brentford on Tuesday.
But according to Chelsea expert Simon Phillips, Fofana was forced off through injury, with further reports suggesting it was again a knee issue. While the severity is not yet known, it is claimed that he 'looked upset' as he departed the pitch.
Fofana though has played down the injury scare, writing on Instagram: "Nothing bad, champion, not even 1 month, we're back to break everything."
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The clash with Brentford was split into three 45-minute quarters at Kingsmeadow. Kai Havertz scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 win for the Blues, with Mason Mount also missing from their squad.
Boss Graham Potter has already lose Armando Broja for the rest of the season after the striker suffered a knee injury against Villa. N'Golo Kante will also not be back until February due to a hamstring issue.
Reece James could be close to a return though, having been pictured in training recently. The Blues returned from a training camp in Abu Dhabi last week, with Potter hopeful some of the injured members of his squad would be returning to action soon.
"We’ve had a fantastic week actually and it’s been good to work with the boys that are here. It’s been really positive to work in these conditions and we’re happy with the week," he said after the friendly defeat to Villa.
"The lads that have been injured have had a bit more time training and they’ve stepped up their rehab so that’s good, they’re getting closer. We’ve got a full week’s training when we get back and then we have a friendly the following week so that will be good.
"There’s a few more guys coming back from the World Cup so it’s moving nicely. We’ll be able to have a few more players back in full training with us. Reece James has moved forward.
"Carney Chukwuemeka is moving forward so that’s positive. Hopefully Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ben Chilwell can also take a step forward in their rehab next week so we’re optimistic about that."
