Chelsea: Why Wesley Fofana is not in Blues squad to face Leeds

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Evening Standard

·3 Desember 2025

Chelsea: Why Wesley Fofana is not in Blues squad to face Leeds

Frenchman played ninety minutes against Arsenal on Sunday

Wesley Fofana has been left out of the Chelsea squad for Wednesday evening’s match against Leeds as the club are managing his minutes.

Standard Sport understands that the club decided to give him a rest following two full 90-minute performances for the Frenchman in last week’s matches against Barcelona and Arsenal.

Instead of Fofana, Enzo Maresca has selected Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo at centre-back against Daniel Farke’s side, with Trevoh Chalobah shifting across to cover at right-back.

Fofana has not suffered a fresh injury. Rather, the club are taking no risks with overusing him and have left him out to manage him minutes, just as they did away to Nottingham Forest in October and at Burnley earlier this month.

Fofana had hamstring surgery at the end of last season and previously suffered an ACL injury to his knee shortly after his £75million move from Leicester to the Blues in August 2022.

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Chelsea see the 24-year-old as one of their key centre-backs and are keen not to increase the chances of him suffering further injuries by overplaying him.

He is one of three players Chelsea keep a closer eye on the fitness status of than others, alongside captain Reece James and the currently-sidelined Romeo Lavia.