Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has been forced to undergo surgery after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.

A statement on Chelsea’s official website confirmed the 22-year-old Fofana did not travel to America for pre-season due to a specialist medical assessment which later ordered surgery to repair his injury but the Stamford Bridge outfit could not divulge the period he will be out of action.

“Defender Wesley Fofana has undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery,” read part of the statement, adding: “The 22-year-old did not travel to America for the club’s pre-season tour due to specialist medical assessments, which unfortunately confirmed that an operation would be required.

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“Wesley will now begin his recovery and work with the club’s medical department at Cobham during his rehabilitation phase.”

Fofana has been very unfortunate with injuries over the past few years. In August 2021, he sustained a broken leg while playing for Leicester City against Villarreal in a pre-season friendly.

He was ruled out for over seven months and returned for the Foxes’ Europa Conference League last-16 second-leg trip to Rennes in March 2022. Fofana immediately showcased his importance to the Leicester side as he scored the equaliser to help Leicester book their place in the quarter-final.

The Blues already have Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, and Levi Colwill as options at centre-back, but they could perhaps do with ensuring they have cover for Fofana if he misses several weeks or months of the season.