Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto withdrawn from France squad due to quad injury
Chelsea have been hit with another injury concern after right-back Malo Gusto was withdrawn from France’s under-21 squad due to a minor knee ligament problem.
According to L’Equipe, (h/t Express) he was picked by head coach Thierry Henry for the games against Austria and South Korea but is set to be on the sidelines, and the seriousness of the injury will determine his absence now.
However, the scans will reveal which grade tear the right-back sustained. A grade one tear is considered a small issue that could see him remain out for one to three weeks to recover from, while the most severe case is said to take six weeks or more.
Mauricio Pochettino will be sweating if Gusto’s injury keeps him out beyond the November international break. Though he has Reece James, the 23-year-old himself is injury-prone.
If the Frenchman is unable to return after the international break, the Blues may find themselves shorthanded at right-back. Gusto has made numerous appearances for Chelsea in James’ absence. Pochettino, who already has many injured players on his roster, will be severely harmed by Gusto’s injury.
Though there will be some solace given James snubbed the England call-up as he wanted to prioritise his fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury,
We are fortunate that Gusto’s injury occurred during the international break; otherwise, we may have faced major problems if it had occurred during a Premier League competition. Hopefully, Gusto’s injury is not serious. We’ll have to take measures after we see what the scan indicates.
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Although James is available, it would be dangerous to put a lot of stress on him just yet. It will take him more games to regain his full fitness. Axel Disasi has filled up at right-back for Pochettino in a couple of games; if Gusto is still out after the international break, the former AS Monaco star may find himself rotating in that role.