Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana undergoes ACL surgery in latest injury

Wesley Fofana has undergone surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, Chelsea confirmed on Tuesday. The France international, widely regarded as one of the best young center backs in world football, is expected to miss a significant proportion of the 2023-24 campaign and though his club did not put a timescale on his recovery, ACL injuries have been known to rob players of entire seasons.

“Defender Wesley Fofana has undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery,” said Chelsea. “The 22-year-old did not travel to America for the club’s pre-season tour due to specialist medical assessments, which unfortunately confirmed that an operation would be required. Wesley will now begin his recovery and work with the club’s medical department at Cobham during his rehabilitation phase.”

Fofana has suffered a string of injuries in recent years and played only 20 matches for Chelsea in his first season at the club due to a…