Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed which of his players will be unavailable for the Middlesbrough game tomorrow.
Chelsea take on Middlesbrough in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie. They are currently 1-0 down after losing the reverse fixture at the Riverside and will have to turn things around without quite a few of their players.
That includes Malo Gusto, with Mauricio Pochettino telling reporters in his pre-match press conference today that the right-back will not be available for selection.
It is a major blow for Chelsea, who are already without Reece James. It means Pochettino will probably be forced to start Axel Disasi on the right side of his defence.
Chelsea should consider signing a new full-back this month
It has been a season where James, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella and Gusto have all struggled to stay fit.
James, Cucurella and Gusto have also picked up suspensions this term. Considering all of that, then, maybe Chelsea should go out and buy someone who can play at both left-back and right-back.
If they do not, at this rate, they are going to finish the season with two central defenders, Levi Colwill and Disasi, in the full-back positions.
It is a shame that Gusto, who cost Chelsea £30.7m (BBC Sport), will miss tomorrow’s game. He has definitely been one of the team’s better performers.
Pochettino recently stated how happy he is with the France international. However, he is now going to have to try and beat Michael Carrick’s side without him.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
