Chelsea will be missing striker Nicolas Jackson for several weeks due to injury, which is a significant setback for manager Enzo Maresca considering the limited options available in attack.
It’s not just the absence of a player it’s the loss of a reliable outlet, someone who had slowly grown into his role after a mixed start to life in London. Jackson might not have been the finished article, but he was doing enough to show why the club brought him in.
Chelsea are still actively seeking a proper number nine, but even though there were serious links to the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Benjamin Sesko during the January window, nothing materialized before the deadline. The squad remained as it was, which has now come back to haunt them.
Jackson, Chelsea's second-top Premier League goalscorer this season after Cole Palmer, missed the recent FA Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.
At first, some thought it was precautionary. But then came the report from The Daily Telegraph, confirming that it wasn’t just a knock Jackson had picked up a hamstring injury serious enough to rule him out until at least the end of March.
He first felt the problem in the match against West Ham United at the start of February. He was subbed off shortly after the break. Back then, the medical team didn’t raise too many alarms.
It was seen as a minor issue something a bit of rest would fix. But scans done the following Wednesday painted a different picture. There was more damage than expected, and now Jackson is facing a much longer layoff.
The international break at the end of March acts as a natural buffer, which means the next realistic window for his return will be Chelsea’s early-April fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. That’s three league games, a European knockout tie, and possibly more, all without their main striker.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Chelsea are heading straight into one of the roughest fixtures of their season. Brighton, Aston Villa, Southampton, Leicester, and then Arsenal it’s a brutal run. And these aren’t just regular matches you tick off the calendar. These are the kind of games that can define where the club ends up when it’s all said and done.
There’s also the second leg of the Conference League Round of 16 on the calendar. There’s a lot riding on these games, and without a proper striker leading the line, it all gets that much trickier.
Jackson was part of Chelsea’s European squad for the knockouts, but now he’s out and yeah, that’s a big blow. Tough break.
Those games aren’t just any fixtures they could decide whether the club brings home a trophy or sneaks into next season’s big competitions through the side door. Now, they’ll have to face that challenge without one of their few reliable forwards.
And just when you think it couldn’t get worse, teenage striker Marc Guiu is also sidelined. So now, Chelsea are basically staring at a first-team squad with zero natural strikers. None.
For a manager like Maresca, who builds everything off structure and pressing from the front, that’s a nightmare. This isn’t just a selection headache it messes with the whole way he wants his team to play.
In Jackson’s absence, Christopher Nkunku is expected to step in. Funny how quickly things can change in football. Just a few weeks ago, there were whispers that Nkunku might be on his way out during the winter window. Now? He’s gone from being on the fringes to suddenly becoming one of the most important players in the squad.
He’s not your classic number nine—more of a second striker or an advanced playmaker—but he’s got the kind of talent that can bend the rules a little.
His numbers support that. In just 1,327 minutes across 31 appearances in all competitions this season, he has managed to score 13 goals. A good chunk of those have come in European matches, which tells you that he knows how to step up in key moments.
It’s now a question of whether he can sustain that form while playing more minutes and carrying more responsibility.
Another name buzzing around is 19-year-old Deivid Washington. He was supposed to go on loan to Santos back in January, but that move didn’t happen. Now he might get his shot perhaps earlier than anyone planned.
He’s raw, no doubt, and the Premier League is a different animal compared to youth or reserve football. But sometimes, opportunity knocks before you feel ready. Whether he starts or just comes off the bench, his physicality and energy could make him useful in the coming weeks.
Then there’s 17-year-old Shim Mheuka. A highly rated talent from the academy, he’s been training with the first team and is quietly being watched as a potential breakout.
No one’s expecting miracles, but if Maresca needs fresh legs or a different look off the bench, Mheuka could find himself involved sooner rather than later.
For fans, it’s frustrating. You don’t want to see your team go into crucial matches without a striker. Social media is already full of people asking how this was allowed to happen. One post summed it up well: “No Jackson. No Guiu. Nkunku isn’t a 9. And we didn’t sign anyone. Great planning, as usual.”
Another fan posted: “I’m tired of being told we’re building something for the future. When does the future start?”
But while the frustration is valid, there’s also a sense of quiet hope. Chelsea have found ways to scrap results this season, and they still have creative players who can score. Cole Palmer continues to grow in stature and could take on even more attacking responsibility.
Conor Gallagher has chipped in with key goals. Even Enzo Fernández, though inconsistent, has the quality to impact matches.
This is where Maresca earns his money. It’s one thing to talk tactics and build possession-based systems in training. It’s another to deal with unexpected setbacks and still find ways to win.
He’ll need to get creative whether that means using Palmer in a false nine role, pushing Nkunku higher, or rotating the young players into meaningful minutes without overwhelming them.
The dressing room mood will also matter. Losing a player hurts. But losing belief? That’s when the real damage sets in. And right now, it’s on Maresca to hold it all together. Now it’s on Maresca to keep the squad locked in heads clear, eyes forward.
Maresca’s job now? Shut out all the noise, keep his eyes on the squad, and put more effort on what really matters, getting this team through the storm. It’s not just about getting through the next few games it’s about using this rough spell to bring the squad closer.
These are the kind of moments that either break a team or pull them tighter. And if they can dig deep and gather a few results together while running on empty, who’s to say this isn’t the stretch where things finally start to get better rather than completely fall apart?
Let’s be real it’s going to be Scrappy.
Maybe even painful to watch at times. But Chelsea fans know the deal by now. This club has never been about following the script. When it all looks like it's coming undone, that’s sometimes when the magic happens.
So now, it's fingers crossed. Nkunku needs to find his rhythm. Palmer has to keep being the guy who leads by doing.
And maybe just maybe one of the kids steps up when nobody’s expecting it Because over the next few weeks, this team won’t just be tested on tactics or talent. It’s about grit. Heart. Character. Everything that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.