Chelsea get major fitness boost as Pochettino faces double new concern

Chelsea’s defender Malo Gusto is expected to be ready to play against Burnley this weekend, which is good news for the team. But there are worries about whether Enzo Fernandez will be available for the match.

Gusto, who plays as a right-back, was sick last week and had to leave the France Under-21 squad managed by Thierry Henry. However, he has recovered quickly and should be able to play on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.

His return will be a big help for Chelsea’s coach, Mauricio Pochettino, especially since their captain, Reece James, is still injured.

But there’s a concern about Fernandez’s availability. He’s playing for Argentina in a friendly match against Costa Rica in Los Angeles. After the game, he has a long flight back to Cobham, where Chelsea trains. This means he’ll only have one training session with the team before the match against Burnley. Because of this, it’s likely he’ll start the game on the bench, as he’ll also need to deal with jet lag from traveling across continents.

Meanwhile, Cole Palmer didn’t play for England in their recent match against Brazil, and Carney Chukwuemeka missed the Under-21s’ game against Azerbaijan.

Palmer is still with the England team for their upcoming match against Belgium, but Chukwuemeka has returned to Cobham early to focus on his fitness. He scored an important goal in Chelsea’s recent FA Cup quarter-final win against Leicester City.

If both Palmer and Chukwuemeka are fit to play against Burnley, they might be considered for the midfield alongside Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher. This is because Fernandez will likely be unavailable due to his international duties.

Additionally, six other Chelsea players, including key forward Christopher Nkunku, are still recovering from injuries and won’t be available for the match.