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Wesley Fofana has deleted every Chelsea-related post on his Instagram after Enzo Maresca made it clear that he couldn't step into a defensive role for the Blues - urging the club to sign new defenders instead.

Fofana was signed back when Thomas Tuchel was in charge, joining for a mammoth £75million from Leicester. However he's struggled to repay that fee, largely owing to a horrific injury that kept him out for nearly an entire season.

The Frenchman is one of a number of defenders on Chelsea's books and only played 14 times last term. An injury to Levi Colwill, which will rule him out for the majority of the campaign, has opened up a spot in the team's backline but Fofana is set to get snubbed with Maresca claiming he lacks the qualities to fill in.

The 24-year-old was a huge hit when he was at the Foxes, but the Blues boss believes he cannot do what is necessary to help the team with their build-up play - something he stated publicly.

In response Fofana has wiped his hands with the club, at least from a social media perspective. His Instagram now only includes images of him playing for France and Leicester with Chelsea not mentioned in his bio either.

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Maresca has suggested that Tosin Abarabioyo is the only player he can rely on to take on the burden from Colwill. "The only one that can do that job well is Tosin," said the Italian.

He also claimed: “We said many times that we are able to create chances and to attack in the right way if we are able to build in the right way. Levi was a huge part of our build-up, and now he is out and we are going to try to find a different solution. We are trying to find a solution internally but the club know exactly what I think.

"We have players that unfortunately, like Wes or Benoit, they have in this moment some problems. And this is the reason why I said that the club knows exactly what I think about central defenders.”

Chelsea drew their opening Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, who held them to a goalless stalemate. Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah were the two men at the heart of the Blues' defence with Fofana an unused sub - as was new signing Jorrel Hato.

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