'Not serious': Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca provides fresh update after injury scare in West Ham win

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca downplayed any major injury concerns for Wesley Fofana, confirming that his withdrawal was purely precautionary. The French defender started the game against West Ham and faced a tough battle with Mohammed Kudus, who was playing on his flank.

Fofana is only just returning from a serious knee injury that kept him out for the entire last season, and while Chelsea fans celebrated their third straight-away win in the league, they were also concerned about Fofana's condition.

However, a delighted Maresca reassured everyone, saying it was just a minor knock. He told reporters:"No, no, no [it's not serious]. The reason we took him off is to protect him a little. In the second half, they moved Kudus to his side, and it was probably a big risk to keep him on, but there’s no injury.

"Wes is a player I really love, and we all love Wes because he’s doing fantastic after being out for a year. It’s not easy for any player to return after such a long injury, but he’s doing top work. This is all we want from him."

This victory was even sweeter with Chelsea's co-owners present at the London Stadium for the first time this season. There have been talks behind the scenes involving both Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, and there are clear signals that the team is progressing, with top players pushing each other to be the best versions of themselves.

Chelsea shot up to second place with that win, and while other results have since dropped them to fourth, they have now won back-to-back league games in places where they struggled last season.

Last season, they drew at Bournemouth, but this time they won there, and they also turned last season’s defeat at the London Stadium under Pochettino into a win under Maresca.