Wesley Fofana appeared to bite back at his critics as he announced his return to Chelsea training this week.
The centre back underwent season-ending hamstring surgery in April, just two games after returning from another hamstring problem he picked up in December 2024 which sparked a war of words with manager Enzo Maresca.
After Fofana claimed his first issue was “nothing serious”, Maresca argued Fofana could miss the entirety of the second half of the season. The French defender disputed these claims and succeeded by returning early, only to succumb to another hamstring problem which brought his season to a definitive end.
Now back in training after the Chelsea squad’s return to their Cobham base on Monday, Fofana offered up a spiky message on social media.
“They like to talk too much,” he wrote alongside images of his return to training.
The exact target of Fofana’s barb is not clear. While Fofana has been subject to plenty of criticism over his unconvincing fitness record, a number of his teammates have publicly snapped back at doubts over the wider Chelsea squad after their Club World Cup triumph.
Fofana joined Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer of 2022 for a total package of £75 million ($99.7 million), but has played just 34 times for the Blues across all competitions, having missed a total of 107 games to date.
Muscle injuries also impacted Fofana’s prior spells with Saint-Étienne and Leicester City, although the most serious issue during his time with the latter was a gruesome broken leg which saw him miss eight months of action.
Before his latest fitness setbacks, Fofana received glowing praise from Maresca, who insisted he was “in love” with the centre back. Now back in contention, the 24-year-old will hope to reclaim his spot alongside Levi Colwill in Chelsea’s strongest starting lineup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Injured Chelsea Star Sends Cryptic Six-Word Message After Training Return.