Of all the tough decisions Mauricio Pochettino has had to make this season, he is finally beginning to have some nice headaches regarding who he selects to start for Chelsea.
For large portions of this season, the Blues have been without club captain and first-choice right-back Reece James due to injury woes.
He had not featured in 2024 at all until last weekend, where he made an instant impact off the bench to help his side to all three points.
His perfect cross was given the nod of approval by Nicolas Jackson, and was a timely reminder of just how quality he possesses.
In his absence, the position has been taken up by Malo Gusto in his first campaign as a Chelsea player.
It is fair to say the Frenchman has settled into life in England quickly, and has at times been a seemless replacement for James.
Pochettino should start Malo Gusto over Reece James
One teammate he has certainly impressed is Cole Palmer, with the England international claiming he actually voted for him as player of the year.
He too has been forced to watch some games from the sidelines this season, however also made his return in the recent last couple of matches.
While the temptation is definitely with starting James after his immediate impact, Pochettino should remain smart and make the decision to start Gusto instead.
The inclusion of an attacking right-back will be interesting to see given the fact the Blues have operated in a brand new system in recent weeks where Marc Cucurella has been inverting into midfield.
This in theory opens up the opposite flank for more attacking possibilities, and this is an area both Gusto and James absolutely star in.
With a summer break likely to meet James in just a few days’ time, it seems foolish to take any unecessary risks with the skipper at this stage.