Chelsea supporters are just hours away from seeing their side in action under a new manager for the first time.
The preparation for Enzo Maresca’s opening friendly as Blues manager against Wrexham is almost over, and the players will be looking for as dominant a start against the lower-league side as they enjoyed 12 months ago.
Supporters will no doubt be eager to get a good look at the system the Italian is going to look to play with his new side at Stamford Bridge.
Sources have been impressed with the way Maresca is setting up so far, with the approach certainly being different to that of last season under Mauricio Pochettino.
During an open training session which took place overnight, the Blues lined up in a shape many are expecting to see something like when the Premier League comes around.
Enzo Maresca tries Malo Gusto in inverted full-back
In this, Malo Gusto took up the role of the inverted full-back according to journalist Bobby Vincent, featuring alongside Romeo Lavia.
It is certainly going to be a task for Gusto to feature for as many minutes this season if club captain Reece James can maintain his fitness.
The young wing-back was thrown in at the deep end off the back of his £30m transfer back in 2023.
Gusto to start the season for Chelsea
While it is no doubt a nice problem to have, finding alternative ways for the Frenchman to feature are essential, with him being just too good to be a regular on the bench.
He will likely be the man trusted with starting the opening three games of the season though off the back of James’ suspension which carries over from the last campaign.
With the daunting task of Manchester City on the opening day of the season, there will no doubt be an appetite to make a real statement in the early moments of the season, and Gusto could well be key to that being the case.
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