Christopher Nkunku just can't catch a break.
After a frustrating second season at Stamford Bridge, where injuries have limited him to just three Premier League starts, it finally seemed like his moment to shine had arrived.
With both Nicolas Jackson and young Marc Guiu sidelined until at least the end of March, Chelsea suddenly found themselves without a recognised striker. On paper, Nkunku – who has played a good portion of his career as a centre-forward or second striker – seems the natural replacement, especially given his solid goalscoring form in other competitions.
However, speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday night, Enzo Maresca made it clear he doesn’t see the Frenchman that way.
"I said since day one that Christo is not a nine, he is an attacking midfielder," the Italian coach insisted. "We know very well that Christo is not a nine."
In fact, Maresca went as far as suggesting he would rather deploy wingers like Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Tyrique George, or Jadon Sancho up front before turning to Nkunku.
"Noni or even Tyrique, they can try and be a solution for us," he explained. "Jadon has a different kind of skill set. When you don't have a proper nine, you need to use a different kind of nine—but you also need to change the way you play. We will find a solution."
Maresca also addressed Chelsea’s recent struggles, with the team winning just two of their last eight Premier League games and crashing out of the FA Cup against Brighton.
"Unfortunately, we are out of both domestic cups, [but] our journey in the Premier League has been fantastic until today, and also in the Conference League," he said.
He added: "We will try to finish in the best way possible. Don't forget, in the last two years Chelsea have never been in the top four, and we have spent this season in the top four. We will try our best to finish where this club needs to be."
Nkunku should be given chance as striker
Everything Chelsea says...
Maresca may have a point: Nkunku isn’t a natural number nine and is more comfortable operating behind the strikers.
However, the 27-year-old has played over a third of his career in that role, leading the line for both RB Leipzig and Chelsea this season.
And his record speaks for itself – 45 goals and 20 assists in 87 appearances as either a striker or second striker.
That said, when given the chance up front in the Premier League, Nkunku has looked off the pace. But that can be attributed to a lack of match fitness, confidence, and even some frustration.
Maresca, meanwhile, hasn’t adjusted Chelsea’s approach to suit Nkunku’s strengths. The team still plays as if he were Nicolas Jackson – expecting him to chase long balls and press aggressively from the front.
It’s not his natural game. But if Maresca tweaks his tactics to accommodate Nkunku’s style, and gives him a consistent run of matches, he could prove to be Chelsea’s best option up front – far more so than Neto or Madueke.
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