Absolute disaster for Chelsea straight after Fulham win as Enzo Maresca confirms injury for Blues man

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Chelsea left it late as they picked up a monumental win in their quest to finish in the Champions League places against West London rivals Fulham.

Enzo Maresca will have been desperate to see his side win away for the first time in 2025, and avenge one of their most damning losses of the season against the same opposition on Boxing Day.

When hope of finishing in the top five seemed to be fading away, substitute Tyrique George struck his first Premier League goal for the Blues, before Pedro Neto smashed home a brilliant winner.

Maresca remained cool at the final whistle, however inside will have been buzzing as pressure was temporarily raised off his and the club’s shoulders in their race to return to Europe’s elite competition.

It was the changes the manager made which were the difference makers for the Blues. George, Jadon Sancho and Malo Gusto all had a positive impact on proceedings in the second half.

The latter was actually brought off late on for Tosin Adarabioyo, with the fear being that he may have suffered an injury.

Those fears have now been confirmed by the manager, who said in his post-match press conference to Football London that the Frenchman had picked up a muscle problem.

He said: “Not a good one. A muscular problem. Unfortunately it looks like a muscular injury.”

Gusto has enjoyed a relatively injury-free campaign, however did struggle with a number of issues in his first season at the club under Mauricio Pochettino.

Enzo Maresca’s tactics hurting Gusto

When used by Maresca this season, Gusto has been asked to do a lot of his work inverting, allowing Marc Cucurella to be the attacking full-back in the side.

While this has seen the Spaniard excel, the right-sided defender has looked a shell of the player he was under Pochettino, when he was an overlapping option going past the likes of Cole Palmer.

Maresca’s tactics are hurting Gusto when he is fit, and are also threatening to do the same to Reece James, who continues to look uncomfortable with his added responsibilities in the middle of the park.

It remains to be seen whether Gusto can return before the end of the season, with James’ fitness still a worry considering how thick and fast the upcoming games will approach.