“He will never remain the same again”- Enzo Maresca says 23-years-old Chelsea star will never be the same again after what happened to him
Enzo Maresca has been speaking about one of his key players and how he’s fighting to play again.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca explained why he admires Wesley Fofana but cautioned that the defender may never be fully pain-free after a season-ending setback last year. As Chelsea was preparing for their preseason tour in the United States, Fofana, who joined the club for £70million, suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2023/2024 season.
He watched from the sidelines as Chelsea struggled to secure a Europa Conference League spot, but he has since fought his way back and is now the club’s first-choice right centre-back. Against Newcastle over the weekend, Fofana seemed to suffer a setback after landing awkwardly, yet he soldiered on and impressed throughout the 90 minutes.
When asked about Fofana’s resilience in playing through the pain barrier, Maresca acknowledged that managing pain will likely be an ongoing part of Fofana’s career.
Speaking to reporters at Chelsea’s Cobham training centre ahead of the game against Newcastle, Maresca said: “He had a bad moment in the first half, a very bad one, but he’s better now. He was probably playing with pain. In one of my recent press conferences, I said I really love Wes because it’s not easy to come back after a year out and fight the way he does.
“Now he’s fighting through pain. With this type of injury, you may feel pain for the rest of your career. Unfortunately, that’s the reality. But he finished well, and he looks okay.”