Chelsea defender Malo Gusto withdraws from France U21 squad after injury blow

Chelsea defender Malo Gusto has pulled out of international duty with France due to injury.

The French Football Federation (FFF) announced that the Blues right-back was among three withdrawals from the Under-21 squad due to contest a pair of home European Championship qualifiers against Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Burnley centre-back Maxime Esteve and Lens midfielder Andy Diouf have also been forced out of the first squad named under new head coach Gerald Baticle, Thierry Henry’s former deputy who succeeded the Arsenal legend upon his shock resignation for personal reasons last month.

Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume is set to join the young Les Bleus group at Clairefontaine on Tuesday instead, with France said to be pondering other potential replacements.

Gusto started for Chelsea in their 1-1 draw against London rivals Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, playing 74 minutes at Stamford Bridge before getting hurt and being replaced by Mykhailo Mudryk.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca said afterwards that the 21-year-old - who had been left out of the squad that travelled to Servette last week after playing in every match so far this term - had sustained a muscle issue and would need to be assessed.

"With Malo, we will see now what happens. It looks like a muscle problem, so we will see,” he said.

France have confirmed Gusto’s issue as a thigh problem and the severity of it remains to be seen at this stage.

Chelsea are already without captain and first-choice right-back Reece James, who has yet to play this season due to his latest hamstring injury picked up in a friendly against Real Madrid in the United States last month.

Maresca stated that he hopes his skipper would be back after the current international break, along with injured midfielder Romeo Lavia.

Chelsea don’t play their next match in the top-flight until September 14, when they travel to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in a game in which new loan signing Jadon Sancho will hope to make his debut after joining from Manchester United on transfer deadline day.

Chelsea have made a mixed start to their latest new era under former Leicester head coach Maresca, following a home defeat by reigning champions Manchester City on opening weekend with a thumping 6-2 win at Wolves and draw with Crystal Palace, along with an aggregate Conference League play-off win over Swiss side Servette in which they lost the second leg.