Chelsea star withdraws from international duty with injury confirmed

Chelsea star Malo Gusto has withdrawn from international duty with the France Under-21 squad as a result of the thigh injury he suffered in the draw against Crystal Palace.

Gusto started at right-back in Chelsea’s opening Premier League games of the season in the absence of Reece James but was forced off in the second-half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

The Frenchman pulled up holding the back of his leg and was replaced with 15 minutes of the match remaining.

Gusto had been included in the France’s Under-21 squad for European Championship qualifiers against Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, joining up with the squad on Monday.

Gusto however is one of three players who have now been ruled out of those fixtures, withdrawing from the French camp alongside Lens midfielder Andy Diouf and Burnley defender Maxime Estève.

The French Football Federation confirmed Gusto is struggling with a thigh problem.

Chelsea return to action away to Bournemouth on 14 September and will be hopeful Gusto is fit in time for that trip.

‘We will see what happens. It looks like a muscle problem and we are going to see,’ Enzo Maresca said after the draw with Palace.

Gusto has been first-choice at right back in the absence of James, who has been serving a three-match ban carried over from the end of last season.

The Blues skipper has also been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of Chelsea’s Europa Conference League playoff games against Servette.

Speaking in a press conference last week, Maresca was ‘hopeful’ James would be available again following the international break.

Enzo Fernandez was another injury casualty in Sunday’s draw, helped off the pitch by the club’s medical staff.

Chelsea have collected four points from their opening three games of the season, beaten on the opening day of the season before registering that 6-2 thrashing over Wolves.