A large amount of the Chelsea squad will not get an extended break from action when the Premier League and Conference League campaigns come to an end.
Enzo Maresca will know at the weekend whether he can start preparing for Champions League football next season, relying on them picking up a win in their final league game against Nottingham Forest.
In less than a month’s time though, the first team stars will make the trip to the United States to take part in the Club World Cup, with importance being placed on the competition internally.
Chelsea fans can expect to see a number of new faces in action during the tournament. Club owner Todd Boehly has claimed that Andrey Santos will be present for the Blues across the pond.
‘Important’ Chelsea player given second international call-up
Some will not be available though due to representing their countries on international duty. The UEFA Nations League semi-finals will see Portugal, Germany, Spain and France in action at the start of June.
A number of Blues will be representing their countries, however one of the biggest stories is the call-up of Malo Gusto to the France squad.
It is just the second time the defender has been named as a member of the senior squad, with him being rewarded for a strong season with a chance to add to his singular France cap.
His nation will be taking on Spain in the semi-finals, meaning there could be a matchup with club teammate Marc Cucurella.
Gusto is Enzo Maresca’s pet project
The new Chelsea manager has pushed hard to get his ideas across this season, and this has seen a number of players need to learn new roles.
Gusto has been one of those, with him spending far more time inverting into midfield than overlapping as he did under Mauricio Pochettino.
Many have been left to believe that Maresca’s tactics have hurt Gusto, however the fact he has been called up to the France team suggests they have seen improvements in his game that not many at Stamford Bridge have.
Maresca has described Gusto as ‘important’ this season, and it remains to be seen if he will play a role in either of the two crucial games remaining.
