Chelsea trio spotted in training ahead of likely Champions League returns vs Pafos
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Malo Gusto, Jamie Gittens, and Estevao's returns could be imminent as they took part in Tuesday's training session ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Pafos.
Gusto missed the last three games for Chelsea for what Liam Rosenior described as a "pain issue".
He already got back to individual training last weekend, but Rosenior decided against using him against Brentford and wanted to wait until the right-back feels comfortable.
The good news is that Gusto was seen among the Chelsea players in the open training session on Tuesday.
Both Gittens and Estevao also took part in the preparation for the Champions League match against Cypriot side Pafos.
Gittens and Estevao were not involved in Chelsea's win over Brentford last Saturday due to illness, with the former missing the Arsenal defeat as well.
Interestingly, Axel Disasi was also spotted in the first-team training.
However, since he is not listed in Chelsea's Champions League squad, he would not be eligible to play.
Welcoming Pafos on MD7 of the Champions League. 🔜🇨🇾 pic.twitter.com/N1mZ1zZAM4
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 20, 2026
Dario Essugo could also make his first appearance for Chelsea this season, having been close to making his Premier League debut against Arsenal.
The midfielder has been re-added into Chelsea's Champions League squad, after previously being removed to make space for Facundo Buonanotte, whose loan spell recently ended.
Rosenior is expected to rotate his team quite heavily against Pafos, so Gusto, Gittens and Estevao's expected returns would only help provide more options.
That said, Chelsea must treat this game as a must-win situation if they are to finish in the top eight of the league phase to secure an automatic qualification to the knock-out stages.
The Blues currently sit 13th, but they are only two points behind eighth-placed Atletico Madrid in a tightly-packed table.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.