Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has criticized the decision to play a Premier League match on transfer deadline day after Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both suffered hamstring injuries. The Blues won 2-1 against West Ham, but the timing of the injuries left them unable to bring in replacements.
Enzo Maresca has strongly criticized Chelsea 's decision to play a Premier League match on transfer deadline day, arguing that it led to the unfortunate injuries of both Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu. The Blues secured a 2-1 victory over West Ham United, a game that commenced just hours before the January transfer window closed on February 2nd.
During the match, Jackson suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and, despite attempts to continue, was forced to leave the field early in the second half. His replacement, Guiu, also sustained a knock during the second period. Jackson is now expected to be sidelined until April, while Guiu faces a spell on the sidelines as well, both players battling hamstring issues. This unfortunate timing left Chelsea scrambling as they were unable to bring in any replacements for the injured strikers within the limited timeframe. Maresca expressed his frustration, stating, 'I think it's completely wrong,' referring to the scheduling decision. He pointed out the stark reality: 'We had two injuries on the deadline.' The match concluded at 10 pm, mere hours before the 11 pm deadline. 'You cannot plan to get injuries to two strikers in the same game.' It's impossible, but it happened and now we need to find solutions because we didn't have time to go for a No9.'Christopher Nkunku, who had been linked with transfers to Bayern Munich and Manchester United previously, appears to be the most suitable candidate to fill the void left by Jackson. However, Maresca has indicated that he will explore other options, emphasizing that Nkunku 'is not a nine.' 'Christo is a solution but not the only solution,' Maresca stated. He acknowledged the importance of Nkunku, saying, 'I said many times I consider Christo a very important player from the start. Now also with the transfer window closed, everyone is here and he can help us until the end.' He further explained, 'We are working to find a different solution. It can be Christo but also a different kind of player.' Maresca clarified Nkunku's role, stating, 'I said since day one that Christo is not a nine, he is an attacking midfielder. We know very well that Christo is not a nine. They (Nkunku and Jackson) are different on the ball and off the ball.'He concluded by highlighting the impact of Jackson's absence, saying, 'Sometimes we complain about players but then when they don't play, you realize how important they are. He didn't play against Brighton and then everyone was thinking it is difficult to play without a nine. We know exactly how good Nico is on and off the ball. Christo is completely different on and off the ball.
CHELSEA TRANSFERS INJURIES ENZO MARESCA NICOLAS JACKSON MARC GUIU PREMIER LEAGUE WEST HAM
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