Enzo Maresca names surprise Chelsea star as ‘one of his favourite players’

Enzo Maresca replaced Malo Gusto at half-time after a terrible performance in Chelsea’s win (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca surprisingly named right-back Malo Gusto as ‘one of his favourite players’ after the Conference League final.

Gusto produced an awful performance and was hooked at half time as he struggled to deal with a number of Real Betis stars in Chelsea’s 4-1 win.

The Frenchman recently admitted that he was ‘far away’ from where he should be as a footballer.

Maresca picked Gusto in his starting XI against Betis – with Reece James on the bench – in a decision which left the Chelsea captain ‘devastated’.

Speaking after the match, Maresca defended Gusto despite his ‘mistake’ in the first half which led to Betis’ opening goal on nine minutes.

‘Malo Gusto is one of my favourite players but the goal we conceded was from his pass,’ Maresca told TNT Sports.

‘They are young players, after a mistake it doesn’t matter and you have to continue. But after the mistake, he was out of the game. He knows that, and he’s a top player.’

Malo Gusto says he’s ‘far away’ from where he should be as a footballer (Picture: Getty)

Speaking to L’Équipe ahead of the Conference League final, Gusto said: ‘In [my] first season [at Chelsea], everything was beautiful and rosy, everything went well. This year has been a lot more difficult.

‘Especially from a personal point of view, for different reasons. It has allowed me to learn, especially to understand what my priorities should be.

‘I am very far away from where I should be. It is my responsibility.’

Enzo Maresca was quizzed about Jadon Sancho’s future after the final (Picture: Getty)

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho scored one of Chelsea’s four goals against Betis but Maresca insists no decision has yet been made on his future.

Chelsea agreed to sign Sancho permanently for around £25m when they signed him on loan from Manchester United last summer.

But they are able to cancel the agreement by paying their Premier League rivals £5m in compensation and reports suggest that remains a possibility following Sancho’s mixed spell in west London.

Quizzed about Sancho after the Conference League final win, Maresca said: ‘I said yesterday in the press conference. From now on we are going to sit with the club and decide what happens for next year.

‘If we finish fourth [in the Premier League] it is also because of Jadon, if we win tonight it is also because of Jadon. It is normal in a season to go a little bit up and down, it is part of the game.’

West Ham forward Michail Antonio, working as a pundit for TNT Sports, added: ‘I think Chelsea should sign Jadon Sancho.

‘He has been an important factor to the squad, and in parts of the season he has been the catalyst for the team.

‘I think he would be a good signing and would help them to keep pushing next season and what is to come.’