Chelsea faces a significant setback after suffering two key injuries during their match against Crystal Palace, raising fresh concerns for manager Enzo Maresca. The Blues saw right-back Malo Gusto forced off the pitch in the second half, aggravating an already problematic situation in their defense, with Reece James unavailable due to suspension and ongoing fitness issues.
Although James was already ruled out due to a carry-over ban from the previous season, his attempts to regain full fitness have hit another obstacle. Gusto, who has been filling in for James this season, once again started as the first-choice right-back but had to leave the game after an apparent hamstring injury, which he signaled to the bench.
This injury is especially concerning as Gusto has previously been sidelined with similar issues. With no immediate substitute, Maresca had to improvise, opting to bring on left-winger Mykhailo Mudryk instead of using Axel Disasi, who has occasionally played on the right in European matches.
Mudryk, who has struggled to make an impact this year, came on but played on the left wing rather than directly replacing Gusto. His performance continues a difficult period in which he has neither scored nor assisted for both club and country throughout 2024.
Maresca didn’t make further attacking substitutions until the 85th minute, introducing Christopher Nkunku, who had also started on the bench. Nkunku, who was in the starting lineup for Chelsea’s 2-1 Conference League loss to Servette, has mainly been used as a substitute in domestic matches, given the competition for places in Chelsea’s attack.
As Chelsea enters the season’s first international break, Maresca will need to strategize for life without Gusto, along with getting the best out of Nkunku and Mudryk. The manager will also be hoping for a quick recovery for Enzo Fernandez, who appeared to have picked up a knock, and Gusto, who left the field with an ice pack and discomfort.
