Chelsea have revealed that Wesley Fofana is back in training after rupturing his ACL back in July.
Chelsea news, exclusives and analysis
The young defender has been on the sidelines since undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery during the summer.
Such an injury usually takes between six months and a year to recover from and there were fears that he would miss the entire 2023/24 season, a massive blow for the player and club.
However, the 22-year-old has remained positive throughout the rehabilitation process and it appears his return is ahead of schedule.
Chelsea posted several photos of the France International on social media, accompanied by the caption: ‘Back on the grass’.
Though unlikely to be back playing football anytime soon, this will be a huge boost for all involved, especially given the centre-back’s ability and the fact that the Blues spent a whopping £70million on him in 2022.
In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Fofana performed well but struggled for fitness and regular game time, making just 15 Premier League appearances.
It was expected that he would play a huge part in Mauricio Pochettino’s project, and though he still likely will, he faces tough competition for a place in the starting XI from Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile.
Including Fofana, Chelsea currently have eight players in the treatment room with Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and Carney Chukwuemeka ruled out for the foreseeable future.
However, there is a chance that Colwill, Romeo Lavia, Malo Gusto and Christopher Nkunku could be back in time for the trip to Newcastle this Saturday.
As it stands, the Blues are 10th in the table and 10 points off the top four.
MORE : Manchester United could lose Aaron Wan-Bissaka to AFCON after approach from DR Congo
MORE : Paul Merson names the three players who must start for Chelsea against Newcastle
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
