Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has given the green light for French defender Malo Gusto to return following his injury woes, with the youngster now in contention to start in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup game with League Two leaders Barrow at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old right-back was forced to leave the pitch in the second half during the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace owing to a muscle problem. However, he’s now fit and available for selection. His injury had kept him sidelined for the last two Premier League matches against AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United.
While Gusto’s return is a welcome boost, the former Leicester City boss will still be without a couple of key players for the Carabao Cup third-round tie in Romeo Lavia and club captain Reece James, both nursing injuries. Maresca is optimistic that the former could recover in time for Chelsea’s next home game against Brighton in the English top tier this weekend.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game against Barrow, the Italian manager said: (via. Metro)
“Malo [Gusto] is available for tomorrow. Romeo [Lavia] is not available. Hopefully he can be available for the Brighton [& Hove Albion] game.”
Moreover, the manager also sees that tonight’s encounter will be a great opportunity for Chelsea’s more peripheral squad members to gain some minutes under their belt and prove their worth.
“It will be a chance to give them some minutes in the same way as we have done in the Europa League; we try to share minutes with them. Hopefully it can be a good chance for them to show a little bit themselves and also continue to get minutes. It’s important, but not because we think that we’re going to win this competition. It’s important because it’s an official game. It’s a different competition, but it’s an official game. We’re going to try in the way we always try, prepare in the best way, and try to win.”
With Gusto’s return and fringe players stepping up, the Blues will be looking to build on their recent league wins over West Ham (3-0) and Bournemouth (1-0) and boost their confidence.
The West Londoners will be hoping to seam along the tie later tonight, and the Blues supporters will be thrilled to watch some young players get minutes.
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