Enzo Maresca has revealed Chelsea are going to be without centre-backs Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile for “a long period” but captain Reece James is going to resume training with the first team today.
24-year-old Fofana has not played for Maresca’s side since suffering a hamstring injury against Aston Villa on December 1, while Badiashile, 23, joined him on the sidelines after sustaining a problem in training last weekend.
Maresca has confirmed neither will return for their final Premier League games of 2024 at the very least. Chelsea play at Everton on Sunday before taking on Fulham (home) on December 26 and Ipswich Town (away) four days later.
It is a blow for Maresca because Fofana is his first choice to play alongside Levi Colwill in the middle of defence, while Badiashile is the next one in the pecking order. However he still has options in Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga and Josh Acheampong to choose from.
After saying last weekend that midfielder Romeo Lavia would return at Everton from a hamstring strain picked up at Tottenham, Maresca has now said he will “struggle” to feature.
But Chelsea’s head coach has provided a positive update about James, who suffered a hamstring injury in training during the international break last month.
He has missed the last eight matches but Maresca said: “Reece finally will start with us for part of the session (on Friday), so slowly, slowly, he will be back. That doesn’t mean he is going to be with us on Sunday or next Sunday.
“The plan for him is to be with the team for part of the session and from there to try to build the right condition for him and then finally he can be back with us.”
Chelsea will go top of the Premier League before Liverpool’s match at Tottenham on Sunday if they win at Everton.
(Top image: Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images)
