Mauricio Pochettino has clarified whether one of his Chelsea first team players picked up an injury in last night’s EFL Cup loss.
He told the club app that the decision to substitute Malo Gusto was not an enforced one, despite the fact his replacement seemed to see the Blues go backwards.
Gusto was back in his more familiar right-back role for the game last night against Middlesbrough, however the overall result remained not a positive one.
They were defeated 1-0 by their lower-league opposition away from home, leaving them a tough task to overturn that deficit at Stamford Bridge in a couple of weeks’ time.
Chelsea’s injury crisis was on full display as they weren’t even able to name a full bench last night, even with two extra goalkeepers present with the squad.
Only Armando Broja and Mykhailo Mudryk were senior options to come on and try and change the game, although neither had the desired effect.
Gusto not injured
The only other player Pochettino subbed on was Alfie Gilchrist, who has made himself somewhat of a cult hero in recent weeks.
He came on for Gusto, despite the Frenchman clearly offering more of a threat going forwards in a time they needed a goal.
Despite the head scratching moment, Pochettino has now claimed that the decision was not made due to any injury concerns.
He said: “No, no [there is no injury]. Malo Gusto came off as a precaution, it’s a busy period and he’s playing a lot. We wanted to protect him.”
With Reece James out for a few months still, it is perhaps no surprise why Pochettino is so protective over the fitness of the Frenchman.
However, the boss will certainly be feeling the pressure after last night’s loss, with them struggling in what he described as their biggest game of the season.
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