“You can’t rely on him” - Joe Cole highlights problem with ‘top player’ at Chelsea as he calls for improvement

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole ackonwledges Wesley Fofana's quality but reckons the transfermarkt isn't reliable to his injury history. The Frenchman arrived at Stamford Bridge from Leicester City in the summer of 2022.

However, Fofana, 24, has played 35 times across competitions, scoring twice, missing a lot of games due to injury. A cruciate ligament tear kept the Frenchman out for the entirety of the 2023-24 season. He played 14 times last season, missing game time due to a hamstring injury followed by surgery, and once this campaign.

“Levi, Levi at the end of last season was brilliant," said Cole on TNT Sports (via TBR). "You know centre-halves mature later, and it looked like something clicked with him. Fofana, you can’t rely on him because of injuries, although he is a top player, but you need to improve that area of the pitch."

In his lone appearance for the Blues this season, Fofana came off the bench on matchday two in a 5-1 win at West Ham United but was on the bemch in the 2-0 home win over Fulham a week later.

How have Chelsea fared this season?

Chelsea have had a good start to the season under Enzo Maresca, the former Leicester City boss who won the Championship in 2023-24. Having arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer, the Italian has found success.

Following a late flourish to finish fourth in the Premier League to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, Maresca's side won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the revamped FIFA Club World Cup.

They have continued from where they left off last season. Following a goalless home draw with Crystal Palace on matchday one, the Blues have won their next two games, scoring seven times and conceding once.

After a rousing 5-1 win at West Ham United, Maresca's side took down Fulham 2-0 at home in the London Derby to move within two points of early leaders Liverpool (9).

Next up, the Blues visit Brentford in the league on Saturday (September 13) before travelling to Bayern Munich for their Champions League opener four days later.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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