BREAKING NEWS Chelsea confirm Wesley Fofana injury with £70m defender set for lengthy spell on the sidelines after ACL surgery

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has been forced to undergo surgery on an ACL injury, the club has confirmed.

Fofana, who joined the Blues from Leicester for £70million last summer, endured a frustrating debut season at Stamford Bridge, with a major knee problem restricting him to just 15 Premier League appearances.

And after returning to feature heavily in the final few months of the campaign, the Frenchman has now suffered another fitness setback after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament.

In a statement on Tuesday, Chelsea confirmed Fofana has had an operation on the ACL injury – yet while no timeframe has been placed on his return, he is likely to spend an extended period on the sidelines. 

‘Defender Wesley Fofana has undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery,’ a Chelsea statement read on Tuesday.

‘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.

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

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has been forced to undergo surgery on an ACL injury