Chelsea fans brand Fofana 'worst signing ever' after 'season-ending' ACL injury
Exasperated Chelsea fans are branding Wesley Fofana the club's worst ever signing following news of the Frenchman's potentially season-ending injury.
The 22-year-old defender has undergone reconstructive surgery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in pre-season training, and is now facing months on the sidelines.
It's the third knee injury he's suffered since joining Chelsea from Leicester for £70million last summer, and some Blues fans are at the end of their tether with him.
"Fofana might turn out to be one of our worst signings in recent times which is a tough task. Wtf is he made of?" one supporter tweeted in frustration.
"Fofana knee injury again. This is really bad news. He missed so much of last season through injury will he even recover this time?" commented another.
A third said: "Fofana shaping up to be our worst value for money signing if things carry on like this," while a fourth fumed: "This is just typical. Another quality Chelsea player with another long-term injury. It was Kante and James for the past two season and now Fofana twice in a row. We can't catch a break!"
Precisely how long Fofana will be out for isn't known, but a ruptured ACL typically takes anywhere between six and nine months to heal, which means the centre back could indeed miss the entirety of next season.
When fit, Fofana has looked worth the money Chelsea paid for him, but given that this is his seventh knee injury in just three-and-a-half years, the signs don't look good for him.
He made just 15 Premier League appearances for the west London club last season, and 20 in all competitions. The former Saint-Etienne star made a solid start to the season despite Chelsea's struggles, but suffered the first of two knee injuries during the club's 3-0 over AC Milan in the Champions League in October.
He returned to fitness in December, but re-injured his knee during a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford, and was out again until late February.