Rosenior vows to shield Fofana from further injuries despite Chelsea defensive challenges

Liam Rosenior maintains that he will not endanger Wesley Fofanas physical condition, even though it might weaken Chelseas backline without the French defenders presence.

Following two seasons marred by injuries before this one, the club has taken a cautious approach to handling Fofanas minutes on the field this year.

Fofana sat out Tuesdays 2-2 stalemate against Leeds, during which Chelseas poor organisation at the back let the away side claw their way back after the home team had gone two goals up.

Josh Acheampong took Fofanas spot in the lineup versus Leeds and contributed to the error in defence that let Noah Okafor level the score.

Justifying the choice to bench Fofana, Rosenior commented: We can sometimes read too much into things. Regardless of who was out there at that point, we ought to have managed the scenario properly.

Wes has faced problems with injuries. My goal is to ensure he avoids another collapse. Naturally, you aim for stability in your defence. I am confident we will achieve it eventually.

Fofana featured for the full 90 minutes in the League Cup semi-final versus Arsenal and the Premier League victory against Wolves, marking the initial occasion since November that he finished two games in a row separated by just three days.

A tear in his anterior cruciate ligament sidelined him for the entire 2023-24 campaign, and the previous year suffered major setbacks from a hamstring issue that needed an operation.

Nevertheless, Rosenior feels optimistic about Fofanas 24 outings across various competitions so far this term.

For the first time in ages, he managed consecutive fixtures from a midweek clash to a weekend one, Rosenior noted. That serves as a strong indicator of progress.

Chelsea head to Roseniors old team Hull for the FA Cup fourth round clash on Friday.

He got dismissed in 2024 following Hulls close but unsuccessful bid for the Championship promotion playoffs, the 41 year old then led Strasbourg over 18 months prior to his January arrival at Stamford Bridge.

Had it not been for Hull and the insights gained from playing and coaching there, I would not be in this position now, Rosenior remarked.

I owe the club a great deal. I enjoyed some wonderful moments with them, whether on the pitch or in the dugout.