Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has admitted that all of his past injury problems are starting to take a toll on him emotionally.
The centre-back was seen in tears following Chelsea’s elimination from the Carabao Cup semi-finals at the hands of Arsenal.
Wesley Fofana was solid against Arsenal 💪
Who do you want to see partner the Frenchman if he stays fit?
Wesley Fofana's number of aerial duels in Arsenal vs Chelsea
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Fofana played well in the second-leg tie, but the 25-year-old has now explained why he got so emotional after the full-time whistle.
Chelsea's French defender #29 Wesley Fofana (R) flicks the ball wide
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Wesley Fofana was desperate to win Carabao Cup after missing Chelsea’s trophy successes under Enzo Maresca
Last season, Chelsea were able to win the Club World Cup and Conference League under Enzo Maresca.
However, Fofana did not play in either competition because of injury. In fact, the Frenchman was not even registered for the latter, with the club concerned about his fitness and how many games he could feature in.
It is why Fofana was eager to win the Carabao Cup and burst into tears when Arsenal denied him the prospect of achieving that dream.
In an interview with Telefoot, Fofana explained: “I was very affected. I still haven’t won a trophy with Chelsea. My teammates have won trophies, but I haven’t been present. That has affected me because I want to win a trophy this year.”
Chelsea play Arsenal again this weekend, but Fofana will miss the London derby because of suspension. Fofana was shown red for two bookable offences in his side’s 1-1 draw with Burnley last Saturday.
It means that Liam Rosenior will have to turn to another centre-back to partner Trevoh Chalobah, who is likely to start at the Emirates.
An upset Wesley Fofana of Chelsea applauds the fans
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Why Benoit Badiashile should replace Wesley Fofana this weekend
Plenty of Chelsea fans would like to see Mamadou Sarr start against Arsenal on Sunday, with the Senegal international now being an option for Rosenior following his return from Strasbourg. Benoit Badiashile, though, would be a much safer bet for a match of this magnitude.
Who starts in place of Wesley Fofana against Arsenal?🤔
Wesley Fofana's replacement after Chelsea red card
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Badiashile is a big and strong defender with much more experience than Sarr. His profile is better suited to a game against a tall and physical side like Arsenal.
Technically, Badiashile is not bad either. According to FotMob, he completes 77.96 passes per 90 minutes and has a pass success rate of 92.9%. If the Frenchman is fit, he should start at the Emirates.
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