Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea continue to soar in the Premier League, beating Leicester City 2-1 this weekend, and remaining in third place after 12 games played.
One factor that has been a heavy cause for discussion is Chelsea’s squad building in recent years, whether it was good to build a strong squad with depth, or if it was going overboard.
This Christmas period is bound to tell us a lot, with games coming thick and fast, injuries, players needing rest, and tactical decisions for many different types of games.
But right-back could be the first issue Maresca has to solve, as both his senior options missed out against Leicester, leaving Wesley Fofana to cover in that position.
Chelsea's right-back situation
Reece James has been ruled out with another hamstring injury and will undergo a scan to check the severity of his latest setback. Malo Gusto, on the other hand, missed the game against Leicester due to illness, but this shows how quickly things can change in the right-back department, with both senior full-backs missing.
Chelsea’s captain has been absent for 50 games since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, missing 38 games last season with multiple hamstring injuries (undergoing surgery for this too), and has now suffered his second hamstring injury of 24/25.
Assists
0.00
0.12
Progressive Carries
0.00
1.60
Progressive Passes
2.96
4.94
Shots Total
0.00
1.51
Key Passes
0.00
0.62
Crosses into Pen Area
0.00
0.12
Passes into Pen Area
0.37
0.74
Tackles
0.74
2.35
Blocks
1.48
1.73
Interceptions
1.11
1.28
The metrics above tell us the role of a Maresca full-back, often having to contribute to all phases of play, defend 1v1s in their channel, but also often invert into midfield, help with progressive duties in the build-up, and even supply the team with creativity in the final third.
Gusto has been an extremely important part of Maresca’s system this season, playing a variety of positions, inverting into deep midfield and advanced midfield positions (sometimes as a number ten), allowing Maresca to platform his best players such as Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in their best positions.
In the absence of James and Gusto, Fofana filled in at right-back for the Blues, putting in a strong performance and becoming that wide centre-back in possession.
This is something we have also seen from Axel Disasi this season, but Chelsea does have a special talent for this role in the academy too.
Reece James injury history: Every game missed by Chelsea star since 2021/22
The defender has endured a torrid few seasons at Stamford Bridge.
