Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto are absent vs Leicester City(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto absence for Chelsea vs Leicester City explained

by · football.london

Pedro Neto has been ruled out of Chelsea's trip to Leicester City on Saturday due to a knock sustained while playing for Portugal during the international break.

The winger was one of a batch of Portugal players allowed to return to their clubs early last week following the 5-1 thrashing of Poland, in which Neto scored his first competitive international goal. The 24-year-old has been in fine form of late, scoring his maiden Premier League strike for Chelsea against Arsenal last time out.

Saturday's visit to Leicester is the first Premier League game he has missed since signing from Wolves over the summer. Meanwhile, Malo Gusto is also absent.

The defender, who has started each of his nine league outings this season, has been ruled out through illness. The 21-year-old previously missed two league matches in September due to a muscle injury.

And so with Reece James suffering another fresh hamstring issue, Wesley Fofana has been tasked with playing at right-back at the King Power Stadium. Coming in for Neto is Joao Felix, who is handed his first Premier League start of the season.

He has not played in the league for six weeks, having been benched during the last four fixtures and earned just nine minutes since the end of September. He has been handed outings in cup matches, registering four goals and an assist across two Europa Conference League and two League Cup ties.

Felix joins Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke in supporting forward Nicolas Jackson in the Chelsea line-up against Leicester. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo occupy central midfield while Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile help Fofana in protecting Robert Sanchez in goal.

Jadon Sancho returns to the bench after missing the 1-1 draw with Arsenal prior to the international break due to a knock while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall makes a Premier League matchday squad for the first time since the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on October 20. He has yet to play in the league since September 21.