Enzo Maresca hopes Malo Gusto will be fit to face Leicester this weekend, despite the full-back being forced off early in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Copenhagen.
Gusto started the Conference League last-16 first leg at left-back but appeared to pick up a problem in the opening minutes.
The 21-year-old needed treatment and strapping before continuing, but appeared to aggravate the issue when blocking a cross soon after and was replaced by Marc Cucurella midway through the first-half.
Maresca’s defensive injury crisis has eased, with Wesley Fofana back in contention to face his former side this weekend and Benoit Badiashile lasting 45 minutes on his return to action in Denmark.
With concerns over Reece James’s ability to back up playing 90 minutes in Copenhagen, though, having Gusto available at full-back would be a boost to the Blues.
“He’s okay, he’s better,” Maresca said. “[The medical staff] just said he could be available for Sunday. Hopefully, we can have him.”
Chelsea have one foot in the Conference League quarter-finals after second-half goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez proved enough to earn a narrow advantage ahead of next week’s return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez was sent on as one of three half-time substitutes following an underwhelming first-half display from the visitors, with Maresca admitting he was surprised by the home side’s tactical set-up.
“I watch many games when we face a team, so I watched many games from this season in the Conference League and also in the league,” he explained. “They never played with a line of five [in defence].
“In the last two years, they played two games with a line of five. Tonight they played with a line of five and surprised us.”
Chelsea did not muster a single shot on target during the first-half, with a new-look forward line made up of Shim Mheuka, Tyrique George and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall posing little threat.
Mheuka was making his first start and, at the age of 17 years and 137 days, became the youngest player ever to start a major European game for the club, with Maresca admitting he did not expect his inexperienced attack to click immediately.
“In the first-half, we controlled the game, we didn’t create chances,” Maresca added. “Also, when we planned the game, we also expected not to create many chances when we have Shim, who is 17 years old, Ty is 19 years old; we knew we would struggle a little bit.
“Overall, we deserved to win the game and it’s good because we gave chances to all of them to get minutes.”
