Christopher Nkunku has been chosen to lead the line for Chelsea in tonight’s FA Cup clash with Brighton, amid a striker crisis.
Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson were both injured during Monday night’s 2-1 win over West Ham and Maresca issued a downbeat assessment during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
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Neither player makes the matchday squad and with Joao Felix having been loaned to AC Milan on deadline day, and Mykhailo Mudryk provisionally suspended following a failed drugs test, Maresca suddenly looks short on options in attack.
But Nkunku gets the nod at the Amex, with Maresca confident the Frenchman is ready to step up despite heavy speculation he could be sold in January.
“Against West Ham he played half an hour and hopefully from now on he can more minutes,” Maresca said. “I was with the club altogether, we were sure before the window that Christo was one of the players who are intention was to keep him.”
Elsewhere for the Blues, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is handed a rare start, Robert Sanchez returns in between the posts, Moises Caicedo is captain against his former club and January signing Mathis Amougou is among the substitutes.
Romeo Lavia also remains out with a muscle problem, while Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are longer-term absentees.
Confirmed team news
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Dewsbury-Hall; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku
Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Colwill, Anselmino, Samuels-Smith, Amougou, Fernandez, Madueke, George
