According to the Standard, injuries has become a concerning topic for Chelsea and their manager Enzo Maresca. According to the latest news, Chelsea’s top scorer last season, Cole Palmer, is out due to injury. Chelsea’s third game of the Premier League season against Crystal Palace ended in a 1-1 draw. The Blues season is looking tough after Enzo Fernandez and Malo Gusto were given medical treatment after the game.
Chelsea’s ghosts from last season are haunting them again with key players being injured. The international break has given them sometime to try and work on their players. Enzo Maresca cannot catch a break even during the international break.
Chelsea are in at the 11th place in the Premier League table with a win, a defeat, and a draw each. Chelsea will also missing their big signing of the last season, Romeo Lavia. The youngster impressed the fans during the pre-season. Lavia has suffered a hamstring injury and will be out for a few weeks.
Former Chelsea captain, Reece James, is yet to play a single match in the Premier League this season. The English right-back has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The Premier League will resume in two weeks, with Chelsea taking on Bournemouth away from home.
Latest Updates and Return Dates of Chelsea Stars
Cole Palmer played the full game for Chelsea against Crystal Palace. However, the England national team announced that Palmer is unavailable to face the Republic of Ireland and Finland. There is no serious injury reported till now and fans will have to wait to know the nature of the injury. However, Malo Gusto’s injury could be a serious one. Gusto was involved in a collision which caused problems in his hamstring. The right-back was substituted early on in the game against Palace. Gusto has withdrawn from the France U-21 squad to work on the recovery. The return date is still not confirmed.
Reece James is another right-back who has suffered a hamstring injury. James was injured even before the start of the season and the return date is still not confirmed. Enzo Fernandez also played the full 90 minutes against Palace. The Argentine midfielder was seen playing as a center-back after Malo Gusto’s injury. However, Fernandez was seen getting off the field with the help of the physios at the end og the game. Romeo Lavia is the third key player who is out for the Blues. The youngster was signed last season after Chelsea hijacked his transfer to Liverpool. Lavia is suffering from a hamstring injury and can be back soon.
Gusto’s injury will be a big blow for the Blues
Malo Gusto’s injury will arguably hurt Chelsea the most. With Reece James already injured, the Blues will not have any natural right-back available. Wesley Fofana is expected to cover the spot during this crisis.
Gusto’s absence will hurt a lot because of his impact on the team. He was signed from Ligue 1 side, Lyon, for a transfer fee of €35 million (£30.7m) in summer 2023. Gusto did a great job covering the right-back spot during the absence of James last season.
Enzo Maresca has some time though to get clarity on the right-back crisis during the international break. There is also the option of playing centre-back, Axel Disasi, in the right-back position.
However, Enzo Maresca did not try this approach and played Enzo Fernandez in the defense with Wesley Fofana covering the right-back position in the game against Palace. It is difficult to think about Chelsea suffering in any position after the number of signings the Blues have made over the two summer.
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