Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana ‘should be close’ to making his return from injury in time to play a part at the World Cup, according to expert Ben Dinnery.

The 21-year-old injured his knee in the comfortable Champions League victory at home to AC Milan last month after scoring the opening goal and is yet to return to action.

What is the latest news involving Fofana?

Fofana only joined Chelsea from Leicester City over the summer in a £70 million deal but has been restricted to just four appearances for his new side.

Blues manager Graham Potter gave a positive update on the France Under-21 international just days after he first picked up the problem, though.

"Wesley's knee is not as bad as we thought. After the game, we were concerned," said the English tactician. "It will be a few weeks we think. It is considerably better than it could be."

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Asked whether he could return before the start of the World Cup later this month, Potter added: "Possibly, it depends how his rehab goes. We wouldn't want to put too much of a timescale on it, but there is a chance."

Fofana, who earns £200,000-per-week, is yet to earn a senior cap for Didier Deschamps’ side, although his form at the end of last season may bring him into contention if he is fully fit.

What has Dinnery said about Fofana?

Dinnery has informed GiveMeSport that he ‘certainly’ doesn’t expect Fofana to play before the season paused for the World Cup but that if selected, he could play a part in the showpiece event.

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In an interview with GMS, he said: “It was always a stretch to maybe expect to see Wesley Fofana back for Chelsea before this World Cup break, so I certainly don't see that happening.

“But it should be close in terms of his availability for France, of course, if selected.”

What competition does Fofana have?

France are blessed with strength in depth throughout the entirety of their squad, and the centre of defence is no different.

Experienced head Raphael Varane is also facing a race against time to get fit for Qatar, but Deschamps has several other exciting players to call upon.

The likes of Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano, Benoît Badiashile, William Saliba and Ibrahima Konate will also be vying for a spot in the final squad taken to the World Cup.

Fofana is far from guaranteed his place in the French setup even if he’s fit, therefore, with the reigning World champions blessed with plenty of options.