Chelsea’s lineup appears to have been revealed early ahead of their match against Southampton, giving Enzo Maresca a significant advantage.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is reportedly set to include Wesley Fofana in the squad for Tuesday’s match.

 

The French defender was initially feared to be out for the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury sustained in December. However, he made an unexpectedly early return to training and is now ready to gradually rejoin competitive play. According to RMC Sport, Fofana will be part of the squad for Chelsea’s home clash against Southampton.

 

It remains uncertain whether he will start, given his recent recovery, but Chelsea’s defensive options have been limited with Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah sidelined.

 

Since his £75 million transfer from Leicester City in 2022, Fofana has struggled with injuries, managing just 27 Premier League appearances in nearly three years. He was absent for the entire 2023/24 season.

 

There was some confusion regarding his recovery timeline after he was subbed off during Chelsea’s win over Aston Villa on December 1. While Maresca later suggested he could be out for the season, Fofana reportedly denied this in a message to a fan page, claiming he expected to return within four to six weeks.

 

With his return now imminent, his own prediction was fairly accurate, and Maresca is reintroducing him earlier than anticipated. However, while defensive injuries are easing, Chelsea still face issues in attack, with Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, and Noni Madueke unavailable, while Mykhaylo Mudryk remains suspended.