Malo Gusto may no longer be Reece James’ back-up at Chelsea after massive Enzo Maresca statement

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Chelsea star Malo Gusto will love what Enzo Maresca has just said about him, but it could be bad news for Reece James.

Gusto played a key role in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, scoring his side’s opener.

It was the defender’s first senior goal, so it is a moment that he will never forget.

Maresca almost ran down the touchline again, showing how delighted the Chelsea boss was with Gusto’s header.

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Malo Gusto one of Chelsea’s ‘main’ players after Wolves win

After the full-time whistle, Maresca made it very clear that Gusto is now one of the team’s most important players.

In his post-match interview, he told Sky Sports: “I said that we have many, many good players, but Malo, for us, is a main player in the way we want to play because he allows us to be versatile.”

Chelsea initially signed Gusto to provide cover for James, but the 22-year-old has played plenty of football since arriving at Stamford Bridge because of the amount of injuries his captain has had.

For example, last season, Gusto managed to make nearly 50 appearances in all competitions.

James is fit again and has been for a while, yet Gusto is still often getting the nod ahead of him to play in the right-back position.

Of course, Maresca is trying to manage James carefully and will continue to do so, especially after Romeo Lavia’s latest injury.

But after his words from Saturday, it is quite clear that Chelsea fans can no longer view Gusto as just a mere back-up option to the Blues skipper.

How Malo Gusto’s form could impact Reece James

James is too good a player to leave out of the side when he is fit. However, Maresca is in no rush to discard Gusto and understandably so after some of his recent performances.

All of the above means that Chelsea supporters could see James playing in midfield more often.

With Lavia and Dario Essugo currently out, it would not be a surprise if he got more opportunities there this month and in December.

Maresca played James in midfield against Tottenham Hotspur, and the England international proved that he is more than capable of doing a job there as he helped the world champions to win that game 1-0.