Wesley Fofana has deleted all reference to Chelsea on his official Instagram account after he was overlooked by Enzo Maresca in the draw with Crystal Palace last weekend.
The 24-year-old has struggled for regular playing time at Chelsea due to injuries following his move from Leicester City for an initial £70 million fee three years ago.
Fofana did not play a single minute in the 2023-24 campaign due to an ACL injury, while last season he made 14 appearances in the Premier League.
The French defender was named on the bench for Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace last Sunday but he was left as an unused substitute as the Club World Cup champions were held to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are in the market for a new central defender with Levi Colwill set to miss the majority of the season with an ACL injury.
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Maresca, meanwhile, has made it clear that he does not Fofana as a replacement for Colwill in the central position of his back three.
‘He [Fofana] needs to be fit, first of all, and then he can do it,’ Maresca said.
‘He played 45 minutes in that position and it was the first half against Bournemouth away if you remember – probably one of the worst halves since we started.
‘Benoit [Badiashile] playing in the middle, the Conference League final, first half, we were losing 1-0. Then we changed with Levi and we won 3-1. So it’s not the same.’
Fofana has now sparked speculation over his future by deleting all reference to Chelsea on his Instagram page and leaving up images of his personal life, as well as his time at Leicester City, Saint-Etienne, and with France’s national side.
Chelsea are next in action away to West Ham on Friday evening.
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