In a similar story to last year, it looks as if Chelsea have just been hit by another spell of bad luck when it comes to injuries.
Mauricio Pochettino was missing a whole host of first team players throughout the entire campaign, with new signings Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku hardly featuring at all.
The midfielder has suffered a similar fate early on under Enzo Maresca, after what was a promising pre-season and first Premier League appearance of the season.
Reece James has been unavailable all season due to both suspension and injury, and he has now been joined on the treatment table by Malo Gusto.
With no natural right-back obvious in the first team squad, the manager will be assessing his options in the extended break before their next game against Bournemouth.
Maresca should hand Josh Acheampong his chance
While the decision would be brave, the boss should look to Josh Acheampong to fill the void in the coming matches.
The 18-year-old made a brief impact late last season under Pochettino, with him performing well in a 2-0 victory against Tottenham.
It was reported that Acheampong had been involved in first team training ahead of the Conference League tie against Servette, however he was not involved as the tie got a bit nervy towards the end.
Moises Caicedo could start at right-back
Looking at the other options available, Maresca could well look to Moises Caicedo to play what may seem to some as an unusual decision.
However, the boss used him there at times during pre-season, and he has experience doing so from his time at Brighton.
Axel Disasi is another option too, however he is yet to feature in the Premier League this season.
Despite that, Acheampong provides a natural right-back option that the other two can’t, and should be under consideration while those not on international duty continue to work with Maresca at Cobham.
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