Chelsea may have lost defender Malo Gusto to injury. He was seen limping heavily as he left Craven Cottage after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Fulham. The French right-back started the Premier League game but was taken out in the 75th minute and replaced by Josh Acheampong. Now, there are questions about whether he will be able to play in the next games.
Bobby Vincent, a journalist, said on X that Gusto walked out of the stadium with a limp after the game. It is still unclear if the 22-year-old was just cramping up or if something more serious was going on. However, new head coach Liam Rosenior will be hoping it is nothing major before his first game in charge against Charlton in the FA Cup on Saturday.
This season, Gusto has been a key player in Chelsea’s defense. In November, the defender scored his first goal for Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was his first goal in 165 games. He scored another goal and assisted against Everton in December. Reece James or Josh Acheampong could start instead of Gusto if he misses the Charlton game.
Already out with injuries are Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, and Dario Essugo. Adding Gusto to that list would make the squad thinner at a very important time of the season, since the Blues will play Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-finals next week.
Chelsea Lose to Fulham
Chelsea lost 2-1 in the west London derby at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night, which was more frustrating for them. Liam Rosenior, the new head coach, watched from the stands as his future team lost to 10 men again. With this win, Chelsea are now in eighth place in the table with 31 points, tied with their neighbors.
Marc Cucurella’s early dismissal changed the game. The Spanish defender was sent off after just 22 minutes for pulling down Harry Wilson and denying him a clear chance to score. This was Chelsea’s seventh red card of the season in all competitions and the third time they had to play with 10 men in the first half of a league game.
Chelsea kept fighting even though they were outnumbered. Early in the second half, Raul Jimenez scored the first goal for Fulham with a header that went past Robert Sanchez. But Liam Delap scored his first Premier League goal for the club when he scored from close range after Fulham failed to clear a corner.
The equalizer didn’t last long. Harry Wilson, who was in great shape, scored the winning goal for Fulham with nine minutes left when his shot deflected off Reece James.