Chelsea handed Malo Gusto injury concern

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 14 November 2023

Chelsea are handed a fitness blow heading into the international break after it was revealed that Malo Gusto had sustained a knee injury.

Chelsea defender Malo Gusto may be in line for a short spell on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury at the weekend.

Having signed for Chelsea in January and remained on loan at Lyon, Gusto has since endured a productive start to life at Stamford Bridge.

A total of six starts and three substitute outings have been made in the Premier League, with a further two appearances from the bench coming in the EFL Cup.

Some of Gusto's game time have been a consequence of Reece James's latest spell on the sidelines, while he would have featured more had he not been sent off against Aston Villa in September.

With club captain James having recently made his return from a hamstring injury, the 20-year-old has found himself back among the replacements over the past three fixtures.

Chelsea's Malo Gusto in action with Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke on September 17, 2023 © Reuters

Nevertheless, the one-cap France international has been introduced into games with Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City on each occasion.

Gusto featured for the remaining 24 minutes plus added-on time during the latter on Sunday, helping Chelsea battle their way to an enthralling 4-4 draw with the defending Premier League champions.

However, his participation appears to have come at a cost with Gusto having had to withdraw from the France Under-21 squad.

According to L'Equipe, Gusto sustained a minor knee ligament injury during the latter stages of the contest at the weekend.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino pictured on November 12, 2023 © Reuters

As it stands, it is unclear how long the youngster will remain away from the training pitch, a period that Mauricio Pochettino wants to use to continue to develop understanding within his ranks.

Although a wide array of Chelsea players will be away with their respective nations over the next week, the Argentine is hopeful of being able to welcome back other injured players ahead of a busier period from November 25 onwards.

Levi Colwill is not expected to be a long-term absentee with a shoulder issue, while Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku are pushing to be in contention after ankle and knee injuries by the end of the month.

No possible return dates have been given for Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka, but Wesley Fofana is still expected to miss the majority of the season with a serious knee injury.