Chelsea continued their 100% record after the international break with a dominant 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
There will have been very little for manager Enzo Maresca to complain about as he saw his side return to third in the Premier League, holding an identical record to Arsenal in second.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer made it a very enjoyable afternoon for those who were in attendance at Stamford Bridge.
If there was one negative, it would be that Wesley Fofana could be set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines after limping off in the second half.
Wesley Fofana of Chelsea reacts with an injury as he leaves the pitch during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa FC at Stam...
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Maresca encouraged Wesley Fofana during Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Fofana has hinted that the issue may not be as serious as first thought, but his absence would be a huge miss at the back after starting every game so far this season.
Before coming off injured, his performance against Villa was at an extremely high level, with him constantly neutralising the threat of Ollie Watkins in behind the Chelsea defence.
This came after the striker had got the best out of him early on, creating a chance for himself which was denied by Robert Sanchez.
According to LondonWorld, Maresca used this moment to get the Frenchman’s attention to offer him some encouragement.
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The result of this was a defender who didn’t put a foot wrong until he was forced off, as Chelsea went on to pick up a rare clean sheet.
Who could replace Wesley Fofana in the Chelsea side?
The most likely candidate to replace Fofana as a starter is Benoit Badiashile, who has been impressing with his performances in all competitions as of late.
The Frenchman didn’t start a Premier League game until the win over Leicester last weekend, after he endured a rough start to the campaign.
His passing range is similar to that of Levi Colwill, although the duo will form a rare double left-footed partnership at the back if they start alongside each other in the coming weeks.
The loss of Fofana, who has been described as ‘quick’ by Martin Keown, will be a blow though, after his excellent return from a long-term injury.
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