Ahead of a midweek fixture against Barrow, with Brighton & Hove Albion waiting not long after, Enzo Maresca was pushed to provide some updates on players who missed the recent win over West Ham. The manager did speak on two names as he provided updates on the status of Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia.
Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto Fitness Update
Availability for Barrow
The Carabao Cup clash is being treated as a formality by most fans due to the massive difference in stature between the two clubs. Despite that, they will be happy to hear the news from the manager that Gusto will be available for the tie. The French full back likely won’t play the full match but getting him out there and letting him work back to fitness isn’t a bad thing either.
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When speaking about Lavia, it was confirmed that the Belgian won’t be available for the cup outing, leaving the Blues short on defensive midfield options.
When Could Lavia Return
In better news, the Italian hoped that the midfielder “can be available for Brighton” which is a more important match to have him for. The former Southampton man hasn’t seen much of the field since moving to the London club due to injuries but has looked impressive in his brief cameos.
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He was so assured and composed in the middle of the park that BBC described him as “fearless” despite coming up against a dominant Manchester City team. His ability to keep the ball and make strong passes was on display in pre-season where he played as the deepest midfielder, such talents are definitely missed with both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez preferring to make things happen from further up the field.
