The bikes have fallen from Chelsea’s ascent under Enzo Maresca in the past six weeks and their problems were only tightened by the recent diagnosis of Nicolas Jackson.
Chelsea’s first choice striker will be missing until after the international break in March after he had suffered a devastating thigh injury in early February. With 19-year-old Marc Guiu, the blues is easy in the department for center forward.
Despite their recent difficulties in the field, Maresca and his players still have the qualification of the Champions League and are fixed favorites that are crowned at the end of the season. However, Jackson’s setback could derail things if a solution cannot be uncovered.
Here is how Chelsea could repair his crisis for the violation of the center forward …
Chelsea has an orthodox – loosely spoken – senior striker, and Christopher Nkunku fills the immediate emptiness that is left of fitness problems. The 52 million pfund -man has tried to establish himself at the Stamford Bridge, after the consistent setback from Stamford Bridge,, but now has the perfect opportunity to assert his claim.
Nkunku has largely been limited to the Cup competitions, but has impressed against a lower opposition. In number nine or in attack on the midfield, he achieved 13 goals and four templates in all competitions this season.
However, only three starts of the Premier League under Maresca came in the way, with Jackson’s impressive early form of the season restricted him to spare parts. That should change in the coming weeks, and Chelsea will play five league games by the end of March.
Nkunku lacks trust and conviction of filling Jackson’s shoes immediately, and Chelsea has to change her tactical approach to get the best out of the former RB Leipzig star. The 27-year-old does not offer the same speed or directness, but has great technical skills and occupies clever positions in the entire forward line.
Nkunkus primary role would probably be a false nine, deep areas to connect the game and enable the room behind the fast wings of Chelsea. However, if the France international does not prove to offer results, the Talismanic Cole Palmer could be used in a similar function.
Palmer already has an impressive positive understanding that is issued by its ability to play in a large role on the right or as an archetypal number ten. The ingenuity and intuitiveness of the Englishman make it such an outstanding threat.
It is unclear whether Palmer would thrive in a more advanced role, but the 22-year-old rarely does not provide Chelsea, regardless of the assigned task. He is a clever goal scorer and provider – two important attributes that are necessary to thrive as the wrong nine – and certainly has the ability to provide a short -term solution.
Chelsea’s business model was to sign the most promising Wonderkids in the world during the latest transfer windows. While most were borrowed, the highly rated dividivated Washington remains.
The competition is currently at the South American championship of the South American championship from U1nil on February 16 and will return to West London shortly afterwards. The former Santos Prodigy, who could return to the Brazilian club in the near future, previously undertook three Chelsea appearances and represented his country in Venezuela twice in the past month.
Although he was not the most convincing option, he was able to provide the emergency cover and share with the high-ranking players of Chelsea, and the 17-year-old view of Shim Mheuka. The teenager, who made the League Matchday squad conference four times this season and received his senior debut against Astana, was productive for 18 years and could occasionally be given the opportunity when the thrust received.
Should Maresca find all the above solutions unprofitable, he was able to convert one of the club’s fast and difficult wing players into an emergency center striker. With Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix borrowed from AC Milan – another who could be practical as a striker – Chelsea only stays Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho in wide areas.
All three presented a sporadically nine in their former clubs. Madueke scored four goals and just as many templates during a 12-game magic as a center forward with PSV Eindhoven in 2020/21. Neto was also occasionally discovered in a central position with Wolverhampton Wanderers, although he was less successful in the role.
Sancho appeared three appearances as a striker with Borussia Dortmund – once a goal and assisted – and led the line twice in Manchester United. He even met Chelsea in the position during a 1-1 draw in 2021.