Enzo Maresca is less than two weeks away from naming his first Chelsea side for the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The Blues will welcome FA Cup holders Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge to get the campaign underway, just a month after they were crowned world champions in the United States.
The players only returned to training earlier this week, far later than the other Premier League sides, and have a number of new players available for selection.
Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato have joined the club since their World Cup win, while the likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Dario Essugo had time to adapt on the tour.
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Enzo Maresca confirms Wesley Fofana could start for Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
One player who was also not present in America was Wesley Fofana. The Frenchman has not played for the Blues since picking up an injury back in March.
Fofana was spotted back in training earlier this week, and Maresca could now have one of his favourite Chelsea players ready to go for the new season.
The manager said in his pre-match press conference that despite not being ready for their upcoming pre-season friendlies, he would likely be ready for the season opener.
He said: “Wes is back, he’s training with us. I don’t think he’s ready to get minutes in the next two games, but probably can be available for the Palace game. Big news, because we started last season with Wes and Levi.”
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The manager would love to pair Fofana with Levi Colwill, however the Englishman could have a big issue ahead of the new season.
Maresca also confirmed Colwill had picked up an injury, and sounded concerned when talking about his status before the campaign gets underway.
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Make or break season for Fofana
Despite now being at the club for three years, injuries have unfortunately been the story of the Frenchman’s time at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have been linked with a new centre-back throughout the summer, with them just not being able to rely on the former Leicester City man due to frequent issues.
It is a make or break season for Fofana, with Chelsea surely set to look at the transfer market if he struggles with injuries again.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah have proven themselves to be solid options, but it feels like the position is Fofana’s to lose.