Chelsea duo Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto will be “available” to face Aston Villa, according to head coach Enzo Maresca.
Both players are already fully fit but, speaking ahead of the Conference League fixture against Heidenheim, Maresca said neither would feature in the match on Thursday evening:
“Both have trained with us. We don’t take any risks for (Thursday’s) game, but I think both should be available for Sunday’s game.”
Chelsea will be hosting Villa at Stamford Bridge this weekend, with captain Reece James likely to be the only player sidelined, unless they pick up another injury versus Heidenheim.
Neto and Gusto have been out since the international break
The pair were not in the matchday squad for the 2-1 win over Leicester City last weekend.
It is believed that Neto picked up a minor knock whilst on international duty with Portugal. Gusto had withdrawn from the France Under 21 squad due to an ankle problem but he actually missed the victory against the Foxes due to illness.
Chelsea will be delighted to have both players back
Considering that James is also on the treatment table, the return of Gusto (in particular) will be welcomed by Maresca. He decided to play Wesley Fofana on the right-hand side of defence last Saturday. The Frenchman performed pretty well but the manager would definitely have preferred to deploy a recognised fullback instead.
Neto was also in excellent form prior to his injury setback, having scored the equaliser against Arsenal earlier this month. Speaking after the London derby, BBC pundit Troy Deeney was full of praise for the winger:
“If you’re a full-back and you’re thinking he could kick it and run, I’ve got trouble so I can’t get too close, but if you get really close to him, he can drop his shoulder and run in behind.”
“Pace scares people. Coming in off that left foot, he can shoot or he can cross, but he’s also got that raw speed which is going to back defenders off. You can see what an acquisition he’s been for Chelsea.”
Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
