Chelsea confirm star is ruled out for the rest of the season in fresh injury setback

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana will miss the remainder of the season, the club have confirmed. The centre-back has undergone hamstring surgery after his latest comeback lasted just two games.

The Frenchman, 24, began the season as a starting centre-back under . He picked up a hamstring problem during a victory over in December, though, and only in late February.

Fofana was an unused substitute against and then started back-to-back games, a win over former club and a defeat at . He wasn't involved on Thursday as returned from the international break with a victory over , though, and will not feature again this term.

"The club can confirm that defender Wesley Fofana has today undergone successful hamstring surgery," a club statement read. "Wesley was assessed by specialists this week after the 24-year-old suffered an injury of the muscle. Following that assessment, it was concluded that an operation would be required.

"The 24-year-old will now begin his recovery and undergo rehabilitation with the club's medical staff at Cobham over the coming weeks. Everyone at the club is fully focused on supporting Wesley in his recovery."

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While no return date has been set, Chelsea's rivals Arsenal saw centre-back Gabriel ruled out for the season following a similar surgery earlier in the week. Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson also missed the best part of two months after hamstring surgery earlier in the campaign, returning against Tottenham in midweek.

Chelsea's final league game is scheduled for the end of May, but there's no word yet on whether Fofana might recover in time for the Club World Cup. The 2020-21 winners play their first game in that competition in June, with the final taking place the following month.

Chelsea sit fourth ahead of their London derby against Brentford on Sunday, with Champions League qualification still in their hands. Speaking ahead of the final eight games of the season - which come with the team still alive in the Conference League - manager Maresca outlined the team's goals.

"The target is to try to finish where we have been all season," Maresca said. "In the first five or six months, because we were second, the expectations changed a little bit. But all season, we have been in the top four or five, and we will try our best to finish there.

"In terms of performance, every game is different. Our performance against Tottenham was perhaps better than other performances, but I was also happy with other performances because I know how difficult it is when teams sit back."

After Sunday's game, the Blues will be back in European action on Thursday with their first leg against Legia Warszawa. The winners of the two-legged tie will meet either Djurgardens or Rapid Wien in the semis.

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