One reason why Mauricio Pochettino really struggled at Chelsea at times last season was because of the amount of injuries that he had to contend with.
New signings Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia could not stay fit, while Wesley Fofana missed the whole campaign for Chelsea.
Nkunku made just 11 appearances in the Premier League following his arrival from RB Leipzig, while Lavia could only make one.
Fast forward to now, though, and Pochettino’s successor Enzo Maresca has not had too many problems.
Chelsea put injury problems behind them
Chelsea have performed exceptionally well in the Premier League this season, finding themselves second in the table.
Maresca’s men are just four points behind Liverpool so appear to be in the title race.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 11 | 18 | 35 |
| 2 |  ChelseaChelsea | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 31 |
| 3 |  ArsenalArsenal | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| 4 |  Man CityManchester City | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 27 | 21 | 6 | 27 |
| 5 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 25 |
| 6 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 25 |
Maresca has been helped by the fact that James and Fofana are the only ones who have picked up medium-term kind of injuries.
A table shared by BBC Sport shows that the Blues actually rank 18th in the Premier League for injuries this season with just eight.
According to journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea have been first or in the top three in each of the last three seasons.
Fofana has been doing gym work and it is not quite clear when he will return. In the meantime, his absence can be an opportunity for Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Axel Disasi.
Which Premier League games will Wesley Fofana miss?
Fofana has already missed Chelsea’s wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
Before Chelsea’s trip to St Mary’s, Maresca stated that Fofana would be out for “weeks”. That means that the 23-year-old could be absent for games versus Brentford, Everton, Fulham and Ipswich Town.
Ultimately, Chelsea fans may not see Fofana until the new year, and the same probably applies for James.
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