Chelsea injury news: Enzo Maresca delivers Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato updates ahead of Bournemouth fixture

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed a mixed fitness update on Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato.

The Blues head into Tuesday's Premier League fixture against Bournemouth sitting in fifth position in the top-flight standings.

After the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, the stakes are rising as Maresca looks to keep Chelsea as frontrunners for Champions League qualification.

Fofana was surprisingly only named on the substitutes' bench for the previous game, while Hato missed out through injury.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Bournemouth contest, Maresca provided the latest on the two defenders.

© Imago

Maresca provides Fofana, Hato update

When questioned on why Fofana did not start against Villa, Maresca said: "It's just to manage his fitness condition."

After previous serious knee and hamstring injuries, Chelsea's medical staff have advised Maresca to only start Fofana once per week.

Despite being available for selection for the majority of the time since the start of September, just 11 starts and two substitute outings have been made during 2025-26.

Asked whether Hato could return to the squad on Tuesday, the Italian added: "I don't think so, no, I don't think so."

© Imago / News Images

What does update mean for Chelsea?

With regards to Fofana, Maresca will want to start him against Bournemouth and the away fixture at Manchester City on January 4.

However, many Chelsea fans will question why the Frenchman could not have started against Aston Villa, a game with obvious higher stakes than the Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, Maresca could now be without both of his left-backs for the Bournemouth fixture with Marc Cucurella suffering a hamstring issue against Villa.

Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong are both on standby to deputise if required.