Malo Gusto admits he 'could be sh*t' in Carabao Cup final as Chelsea full-back insists he 'doesn't care' about praise for shutting down Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku

Gusto addressed the positive response to his marking job on Jeremy Doku in Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester City, insisting that it matters little if he's not consistent. Indeed, the Blues are facing an even bigger game against Liverpool at Wembley to contest the first major trophy of the domestic season.

In an interview with the Athletic, Gusto said: "It's nice, but I don’t really care about [praise]; I just want to become a better person and better player. The game against Doku, people talk about it, but it's just one game. Maybe this weekend I could be sh*t and the game after, I could be better. I just have to stay focused, to keep (the) good things.

"I came to Chelsea because I wanted to play against great players. The last game [against City] was complicated, but it was good for me to learn, to get confidence [for the final]. It was good for me. I have good cardio, good legs. This is my football."

Gusto has been given the chance to start regularly this season because of Reece James' injury problems. The Chelsea skipper has only made nine appearances across all competitions this season because of two hamstring setbacks. He is still suffering from the second of those and hasn't played since early December.

Victory in Sunday's Carabao Cup final would suddenly change the whole complexion of Chelsea's season. The Blues haven't won a domestic trophy since the FA Cup in 2018 and, given that their league form has recently started to imppove anyway, it could further boost confidence for a strong end to the campaign. The Carabao Cup also offers entry into next season's Europa Conference League if qualification via the league is beyond them.