Three ways Chelsea can line up without Nicolas Jackson against Brighton

Chelsea instrumentality to Brighton successful the Premier League looking to avenge their FA Cup decision to the aforesaid broadside past weekend.

To bash so, though, Enzo Maresca’s broadside volition person to present a acold much potent attacking show and volition anticipation to that extremity that Nicolas Jackson is backmost fit.

Jackson, on with teenage striker Marc Guiu, was injured during the triumph implicit West Ham connected deadline time and the treble stroke saw Maresca caput to the Amex connected Saturday airy connected centre-forward options.

Christopher Nkunku led the enactment without occurrence and portion Maresca was upbeat astir Jackson’s wounded concern successful his post-match property conference, helium stopped abbreviated of confirming whether the Senegalese would beryllium acceptable for Friday’s repetition fixture.

Maresca is owed to springiness a further update connected Thursday, but if Jackson is not acceptable to return, whitethorn person to get originative successful a bid to spark his onslaught backmost into life.

Here are 3 ways helium could bash it…

Despite his unconvincing performances successful caller weeks, and Maresca’s insistence that helium is not an out-and-out No9, Nkunku remains the astir earthy acceptable astatine centre-forward.

The Frenchman is, astatine his best, a reliable goalscorer, a antheral who scored 36 goals successful 59 games crossed his last 2 Bundesliga seasons with RB Leipzig earlier joining Chelsea. Even successful what has been a hard run this term, helium has 13 goals crossed competitions, 2nd lone to Cole Palmer among Chelsea players.

If the Blues are to persist with Nkunku arsenic a genuine centre-forward, though, past the 27-year-old indispensable bargain into the little and defy immoderate of his earthy inclinations to driblet heavy and nexus the play.

At Brighton past weekend, Nkunku completed 100 per cent of his passes, but did not person a shot, grounds of excessively overmuch of his engagement coming excessively aboriginal successful Chelsea’s attacks.

Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku

When asked astir his options astatine centre-forward past week, Maresca raised the intriguing anticipation of utilizing Palmer astatine centre-forward.

“I had Cole playing arsenic a 9 successful the past,” the Italian said, referring to his clip moving with the past youngster successful Manchester City’s academy, portion Mauricio Pochettino besides tried the thought connected a mates of occasions during wounded crises of his ain past season.

Needless to accidental that moving Palmer retired of his champion presumption astatine No10 - from wherever helium has 14 league goals and six assists this play - would beryllium a important gamble and necessitate Chelsea to reshape their accustomed patterns of play.

Instead, Nkunku could swap into that deeper role, wherever helium is much comfortable, oregon other Maresca could bring Kiernan Dewsbury-Halll successful to play successful beforehand of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Nkunku, Sancho; Palmer

A much extremist shakeup to the Blues onslaught could spot a displacement backmost to the benignant of strategy utilized nether Pochettino past season, erstwhile Palmer excelled with licence to roam disconnected the close flank.

While Chelsea’s centre-forward problems person been the header successful caller weeks, Palmer has besides been enduring a quieter spell, with opponents progressively palmy successful crowding him retired of cardinal areas.

This strategy would inactive necessitate Nkunku playing up front, but would astatine slightest marque the No10 country little crowded, and onus would autumn connected 1 of the wingers - possibly Pedro Neto - to play successful the inside-left transmission and agelong defences with runs successful behind.

The contented for Maresca is that this power would look much charismatic if it came with the payment of squeezing Fernandez, Caicedo and Romeo Lavia into the aforesaid team, thing helium has seldom been capable to bash this season. As it is, the Belgian remains sidelined done injury.

Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez, Dewsbury-Hall; Palmer, Nkunku, Neto