Enzo Maresca’s press conference today saw him cover a number of topics ahead of tonight’s EFL Cup game against Newcastle.
The Chelsea boss was asked specifically about Wesley Fofana, who was seen wincing and looking in serious pain at times as the Blues won against the same opposition at the weekend.
He was always going to be rested tonight anyway – he’s an established first team member and is also on a very specific programme of not being allowed to play more than once a week following his awful injury hell.
It seems like the issue seen on Sunday is connected to that, although Maresca’s answer was slightly unclear:
“He had a bad moment in the first-half, very bad, but he is better. He was probably playing with pain. In one of my last press conferences, I said I really love Wes because it is not easy playing after one year out and come back and be a fighter in the way he is,” Maresca explained.
“Now he is fighting with pain. When you have that kind of injury, you will probably feel pain for the rest of your career, unfortunately it is like this. But he finished well and he looks okay.”
Fofana pain looks set to continue
We understand that serious long term injuries can make you more prone to related issues in the future, but it’s hard to understand why something like the knee surgery he had would cause serious pain, mid-game, on the pitch, more than a year after the surgery.
In any case, Maresca’s praise for the “fighter” is well earned, and we hope to see him looking a little more comfortable this weekend, after a well earned break.
