Why Malo Gusto is absent for Chelsea vs Ajax as Champions League omission explained | OneFootball

Malo Gusto was not included in Chelsea's matchday squad to face Ajax in the Champions League, and his absence has now been explained.

As expected, Maresca has made quite some changes to his Chelsea team that beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday.

Filip Jorgensen has replaced Robert Sanchez in goal, while neither of the starting back four at Forest has kept their spot in the starting line-up.

In fact, Romeo Lavia, who only played in the first half at the weekend, is the only player to remain in the first eleven.

The biggest surprise, however, is the lack of any natural right-back in the starting eleven, with Reece James being on the bench and Gusto missing from the squad.

According to BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella, Gusto's eyebrow-raising absence is due to illness.

Gusto will also be unavailable to face Sunderland in the Premier League this weekend after getting sent off against Nottingham Forest.

Moises Caicedo, who has caught attention with his superb performance in midfield since the start of the season, is likely to be the one to fill the right-back spot as and when required, with Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez playing in the midfield pivot behind Facundo Buonanotte.

Maresca often instructs his full back to play inverted roles and move into midfield, so if Caicedo is indeed slotting in as a right-back, he should not have a hard time adjusting.

In addition to that, James is on the bench, so Maresca could easily substitute him in if it does not go as planned on the pitch.

The possible issue is that the starting right winger, Estevao, is not exactly known for his ability to track back, which could leave holes in Chelsea's right-hand defence during the game.

On a more positive note, Fernandez's return to midfield would help Chelsea a lot in transition.

"Enzo is very important for us since we started," Maresca said in his pre-match interview.

"He's okay to start the game so hopefully he can be fit for the entire game."