Chelsea’s pre-season plans for the summer look set to be heavily disrupted, with Malo Gusto one of several players who they could be without.
The Blues will head to America for a pre-season tour, but Mauricio Pochettino may have to fly there without Malo Gusto.
The Argentine will want to have the right-back with him, as he has been fantastic for Chelsea this season.
Despite being a defender, Gusto has provided eight assists in 29 appearances for his side in the current campaign.
Not having him for the club’s preparations for the 2024/25 season would be a frustrating development. Gusto was named in the FA Cup Team of the Round for the quarter-finals of the competition.
Malo Gusto could miss Chelsea’s pre-season because of Olympics
According to the Evening Standard, Gusto is in line to be called up to France’s national team for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Benoit Badiashile, Lesley Ugochukwu and Wesley Fofana are also eligible for France so could be missing as well.
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It is set to be a busy summer of international football, with the Euros taking place in Germany, too.
Chelsea fans will be hoping that all of their players come back unscathed. But after all of the injuries that the team have suffered this season, they will probably be fearing the worst.
The football tournament runs from 24 July to 10 August, meaning that Gusto could easily miss pre-season and the beginning of the new Premier League campaign.
Should that happen, Pochettino is going to need Reece James to stay fit, something that has just not happened this term.
The Chelsea captain had to undergo hamstring surgery and has been out for a while now.
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard still thinks James is one of the best right-backs in the world. But the 24-year-old is barely getting to show that these days because of all of the injuries he is picking up.
