Chelsea will be without striker Nicolas Jackson until the end of March, so that they don’t attack with back-up Marc Guiu either.
Jackson suffered the problem in the home win against West Ham on February 3 and is only expected after the next international break, which ends on March 25th.
Guiu limp in the same game and, according to Boss Enzo Maresca, will be missing for a “little time”.
The couple was not available for the FA Cup tie last weekend in Brighton, with wing player Christopher Nkunku used in a false nine role, and this tactic could be repeated when Chelsea visited the league again tomorrow evening.
Brighton (A) in the Premier League. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/rxe5hkxuwi
– Chelsea FC (@chelafc) February 12, 2025
Maresca said today: “Nico is injured and is spent until the international break. He will probably be back after the international break.
“We knew that he had a muscle problem, but not how important it was (significant) at this stage. His reaction was good, so we didn’t think it would be a major injury.
“Unfortunately, he had a scan that showed the injury and he will be traveling for six to eight weeks.
“Marc Guiu will also be outside for a while. He has a muscle problem, also a knee tendon problem and will look for a while. “
Nkunku not the only solution
When asked whether Nkunku is the natural replacement, he added: “Christoph could be one of the solutions, but he is not the only solution. I consider Christoph as a very important player. He can try to help us.
“We try to find different solutions can be Christoph or another kind of player. If you don’t have real nine that can always be a threat, you always have to change. Pedro (Neto), Noni (Madueke) or even Tyrique (George) can try to be the solution. Jadon (Sancho) maybe with different skills. “
Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badishile have also left until the end of next month, but captain Reece James is fit and for the trip to the south coast, where Maresca will hope that Chelsea can take revenge for the 2-2 defeat on Saturday.
He said: “In all the games they (Brighton) try to be quite aggressive. I expect a very similar game. It’s fresh in your head how you attack and defend. They know what they are doing and try to do. It is probably better to face them immediately. “
This season Ben has a “fantastic journey” – Maresca
Chelsea’s shape has broken down lately and you have won only three of your last 10 games in all competitions.
They are fourth in the Premier League and that in themselves a sign of progress, according to the former Leicester boss Maresca.
“Our trip to the Premier League and the Conference League was fantastic,” he said.
“We will try as best we can. Don’t forget in the past two years that Chelsea has not been the top 4 and this season was always among the top 4. This shows everyone who is in the right direction. This association belongs to the Champions League. “
