Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna says he is “not surprised” that Malo Gusto has done so well during his first season at Chelsea.

The 20-year-old has excelled in the absence of Reece James and, speaking to Paddy Power, Sagna suggests the club captain will have a fight on his hands when he gets back to fitness:

“Malo Gusto and Reece James are going to have to compete for the right back spot and that’s good for Chelsea. Gusto is dynamic, fast and good at one-on-ones. He was doing well at Lyon, and I’m not surprised to see him shining at Chelsea because he has all the qualities to be an important player.”

Sagna claims that Gusto has the potential to be a top Premier League player if he continues in his current vein of form:

“Chelsea are in a rebuilding process at the moment and Gusto has been doing well but he can do even better in the coming seasons. He has the quality to become the best right-back in the Premier League, if he keeps playing this way for a whole season.”

Gusto’s numbers speak for themselves

The Frenchman has already racked up 8 assists in 29 appearances for Chelsea since the start of the campaign, which is a very impressive total for a fullback.

Gusto may have not scored yet, but he has certainly created a whole host of opportunities for his teammates with his outstanding deliveries into the penalty box.

When will James be back available for Chelsea?

The captain underwent surgery on a troublesome hamstring injury in late December and, at the time, it was estimated that he would be back in action within four months. A return in April has been pencilled in.

England manager Gareth Southgate recently said James should be in contention to play a few games before the season comes to an end.