Chelsea dealt blow as star man picks up injury, set to be assessed in the upcoming days: Reports
Chelsea have been handed a fresh injury blow after Wesley Fofana missed the squad for their Premier League meeting against Tottenham Hotspur today (April 3). The French defender had only just returned from 12 weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring issue, only to be out again (via Nizaar Kinsella on X).
He had played just two games since his return, starting against Leicester and Arsenal. However, he is out once more, and his absence will create a void in the Blues' brittle backline, with Trevoh Chalobah replacing him in the starting lineup. He will be assessed in the coming days, according to the report from Kinsella.
It’s another frustrating setback for Fofana, whose time at Stamford Bridge has been badly interrupted by injuries. Despite a bright start to the season, he missed out on 13 league matches due to a hamstring issue. He did not play a single minute throughout the 2023-24 campaign, while also dealing with a knee injury in the 2022-23 season.
Chelsea’s injury problems do not end there. Noni Madueke was included among the substitutes for the first time since mid-February, while Romeo Lavia missing again after another setback. On the plus side, though, Cole Palmer was back in the starting XI with Nicolas Jackson, who made his return after two months out.
Chelsea back in top four as they edge Spurs in close derby
A second-half header from Enzo Fernandez was enough to see Chelsea secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, moving the Blues back into the top four of the Premier League. The Argentine midfielder finished off a spell of sustained pressure from the hosts when he converted a precise Cole Palmer delivery just five minutes after the interval.
The Blues thought they had doubled their lead minutes later, when Moises Caicedo rifled in a volley from the edge of the box. But after a VAR check, the goal was disallowed due to an offside interference from Levi Colwill. Spurs thought they had equalised with a brilliant Pape Matar Sarr effort from distance but it was ruled out because he had fouled Caicedo in the build-up.
Despite late pressure, Tottenham could not break through, and the Blues clinched the win. Chelsea’s win has extended their habitual plunder over their London rivals at Stamford Bridge. It also heaps the pressure on Ange Postecoglou, whose side stay locked in 14th after a 16th league loss of the season.
