James or Gusto as full-backs become talking point
- Published
Malo Gusto will begin the season at right-back as Reece James serves a three-match ban in the Premier League for a red card sustained in the penultimate match of last season.
But James and Gusto will have to co-exist and both, at times, have struggled to adapt to the demands of being a full-back for Enzo Maresca.
In Maresca's system, one full-back typically becomes inverted and steps into central midfield and the other sits back to defend as a third central defender, which turns a back four into a back three.
James should be capable of performing either role but has struggled as he also builds fitness after an injury-hit season.
Gusto has also struggled and has played a left-back three times, with Levi Colwill also tried out in the role as Marc Cucurella recovers from Euro 2024.
Maresca has admitted that some of his unusual team selections have come as he looks to "experiment" in pre-season, but left-back Ben Chilwell has played just 64 minutes and in two matches from the bench, raising new questions about whether he could be sold.
The addition of new goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal is also interesting as the Blues wanted a specialist at playing out from the back to compete with Robert Sanchez, but it has left Djordje Petrovic likely to be pushed out of the club, at least in the short-term on loan.
The atmosphere around the squad seemed broadly positive under Maresca but such is the pace of signings, representatives around several players admit uncertainty around their futures left them feeling insecure.