Graham Potter has described just how much Chelsea missed Wesley Fofana in his four-month absence.
A £75million summer signing from Leicester, Fofana proved the matchwinner on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Leeds after converting a 53rd-minute corner with a header.
It was just his 10th appearance for the club and the 22-year-old was a key player at both ends of the pitch in Thiago Silva's absence.
Speaking after the match, Potter said that Fofana is a huge part of his plans after recovering from injury.
“We’ve missed him,” said the Chelsea boss. “I think it was the AC Milan game at home when he suffered his injury and that was a long time ago.
“He brings something different; physicality, he defends big spaces, he allows us to defend a little higher because he has the pace to recover.
“In the box, he can attack the ball well. He’s an important player for us.”
Fofana was not the only Chelsea defender to impress against Javi Gracia's struggling Leeds side.
Kalidou Koulibaly was one of the Blues’ best performers despite being criticised for many of his displays earlier in the season.
Potter added: “Sometimes it’s not easy to land and hit the ground [running]. We all want that to happen but it isn’t as straightforward as that.
“There has been a lot of change and transition here but he is a great guy, wants the team to do well, cares a lot, and I thought he helped Wesley and Benoit [Badiashile].
“He showed leadership and calmness which was really important for us. So I’m really happy for him.”
