Enzo Maresca:
“Malo Gusto is okay and he’s better, he can be ready for Sunday’s game”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is optimistic that Malo Gusto will recover in time to feature against Leicester City this weekend, despite the defender being substituted early in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Copenhagen in the UEFA Conference League.
Gusto, who started at left-back in the first leg of the Round of 16 clash, appeared to sustain an injury within the opening minutes. After receiving treatment and having his leg strapped, he continued briefly but seemed to worsen the issue while blocking a cross. The 21-year-old was eventually replaced by Marc Cucurella midway through the first half.
Maresca’s defensive options are gradually improving, with Wesley Fofana now available to face his former club and Benoît Badiashile completing 45 minutes on his return from injury during the match in Denmark. However, with lingering doubts over Reece James’s ability to play consecutive full matches after completing 90 minutes against Copenhagen, Gusto’s availability would provide a significant boost for Chelsea.
“He’s doing okay; he’s better,” Maresca stated. “The medical staff mentioned he could be available for Sunday. Hopefully, we’ll have him ready.”
Chelsea Edge Closer to Quarter-Finals
Chelsea gained a slight advantage heading into next week’s return leg at Stamford Bridge, thanks to second-half goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernández. The Blues endured a lackluster first half, failing to register a shot on target, but improved significantly after halftime when Maresca made three substitutions, including introducing Fernández.
Maresca admitted that Copenhagen’s tactical setup caught him off guard. “I’ve watched many of their games this season in both the Conference League and their domestic league,” he explained. “They never played with a back five. In the last two years, they’ve done it only twice, but tonight they surprised us with that formation.”
The first half saw limited attacking threat from Chelsea’s youthful forward line of Shim Mheuka, Tyrique George, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Mheuka, making his first start at just 17 years and 137 days old, became Chelsea’s youngest-ever starter in a major European competition. Maresca acknowledged that the inexperience of his attacking trio impacted their performance.
“In the first half, we controlled possession but didn’t create chances,” Maresca said. “We anticipated some struggles because Shim is only 17, Ty is 19—it was always going to be challenging for them to click immediately.”
Despite the early difficulties, Maresca expressed satisfaction with the result and emphasized the importance of giving young players opportunities. “Overall, we deserved to win,” he concluded. “It was good to give them minutes and experience.”
