Malo Gusto could indirectly be the key to Chelsea replacing Romeo Lavia following the midfielder’s latest injury.
Lavia is expected to be out for a month due to a quadricep issue sustained in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag last week.
With Dario Essugo also on the sidelines, it is the last thing that Enzo Maresca needs.
Some Chelsea supporters would probably like to see the club sign a new midfielder because of the frequency of Lavia’s injuries. However, Maresca already has internal options who offer a solution.
Chelsea duo Reece James and Malo Gusto with Club World Cup medals
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Malo Gusto’s right-back role means Reece James is free to play in midfield
Malo Gusto was recently described as a “main” player at Chelsea by Maresca, so the 22-year-old could continue playing in the right-back position despite Reece James being available.
That would then give Maresca the opportunity to use James in midfield, as he did in the Blues’ 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the month.
For such games, the Chelsea head coach usually goes with a double pivot of Lavia and Moises Caicedo, while Enzo Fernandez is pushed further forward.
However, because of all of Lavia’s injury problems, he has had to be very cautious with the Belgian and thus decided to leave him on the bench for that match.
Instead, James started in the middle against Tottenham to give Maresca’s side more physicality.
With Lavia out and Gusto starting to edge him in the battle to be first-choice right-back at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea fans could see a lot more of James in midfield.
Chelsea duo Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto on the pitch
Photo by Emilee Chinn – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Andrey Santos another option for Enzo Maresca
If Chelsea are starting to lose faith in Lavia, Andrey Santos is another internal option that the club can really invest in.
Lavia is an exceptional midfielder who can beat any press, but Santos may actually be a more complete player than him.
At Strasbourg, Santos showed that he can score goals and make tackles. The Brazilian has the potential to become a very efficient box-to-box midfielder.
Last season, Santos was averaging an impressive 3.4 tackles per game in Ligue 1. Chelsea fans have not seen the best of him yet, but Lavia’s latest injury could present the Brazil international with a real opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the side.
Andrey Santos’ 2024/25 Ligue 1 stats Total
Appearances 32
Minutes 2,857
Goals 10
Assists 3
Tackles per game 3.4
Interceptions per game 1
Average passes per game 49.4
Pass success rate 88.6%
Via WhoScored
Lavia has too much talent for Chelsea to give up on him. Rather than buy another midfielder in January or next summer, Maresca should look to utilise James, Santos and Essugo — once he is fit again — if Lavia continues to pick up more injuries.