Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has undergone an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.

Pochettino is confident Fofana could yet play a role in the new season despite suffering a serious knee injury.

The 22-year-old will sit out Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States plus several months of the upcoming campaign.

“Really sad, really bad news,” Pochettino told reporters.

“We feel so sad. We can only help him and to be again with the team we know it is tough. We need to help him and wish him all the best.

“We need to keep going, the competition is there. The competition doesn’t wait for anyone and we need to be ready.”