“Wesley knee is not as bad as we thought, so that is good” – Chelsea boss Graham Potter on timeline for Fofana’s return

Chelsea manager Graham Potter has shared an update on Wesley Fofana and N'Golo Kante's potential return to action from injury.

Fofana had to be substituted off in the 38th minute of the Blues' 3-0 win over AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League on October 5. The French centre-back limped off due to a knee injury and was replaced by Trevoh Chalobah. Earlier in the game, Fofana had opened the scoring for the Blues.

Potter has said that the centre-back will be out for a few weeks but could return before the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In a press conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (October 8), Potter said (via Football.London):

"Wesley knee is not as bad as we thought so that is good. It will be a few weeks, I think, but considerably better than it could be. It's a possibility (to play before World Cup)."

Fofana joined the Blues earlier this summer from Leicester City for around £75 million and has played six games so far.

Potter also shared an update on Kante. The veteran midfielder has been out due to a hamstring injury he sustained during Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on gameweek 2.

The Frenchman has returned to training but is not yet fully fit to play. Potter said about Kante:

"(Kante) is doing more integration with the team but still not ready."

Kante has struggled with injuries recently. He played 42 games across competitions last season but missed a few games due to groin and knee issues.

The Blues will hope to have him back soon as they look to traverse a hectic schedule before the World Cup. Following their clash against Wolves, Potter's side will travel to the San Siro to face Milan on October 11 before facing Aston Villa five days later.

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Graham Potter on Diego Costa's return to Chelsea

Chelsea's game against Wolves will see Diego Costa return to Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard arrived at the Molineux on a free transfer and has played once for them thus far.

On Costa's return to West London, Potter said:

"We have a lot of respect for him and his career. He's at Wolves, and he's going to come and be ready to play. I followed his career from afar, and I've got a lot of respect for him. They have a lot of good attacking players, so we have to be ready."

Costa played for Chelsea between 2014 and January 2018 and registered 59 goals and 23 assists in 120 games. He also won the Premier League twice with the Blues.