Enzo Maresca addresses Chelsea injury latest after Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu scares | OneFootball

Blues boss insists squad not left light despite flurry of forward exits

Enzo Maresca has eased injury fears over Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson after the pair went down during Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over West Ham.

The Spanish striker was then himself seen limping down the tunnel at full-time, briefly raising concerns over two of Maresca’s centre-forward options in the final minutes before the transfer window was due to close.

“Nico and Marc, to be honest they both said to me that they’re okay so hopefully neither of them are injured,” Maresca said afterwards.

It has been a busy deadline day for the Blues, with a number of players leaving the club on loan.

However, while Carney Chukwuemeka’s move to Borussia Dortmund was formally announced ahead of kick-off, expected exits for Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi had all yet to be confirmed as the 11pm deadline rolled around.

Clubs have until 1am to finalise any deals, provided they submit a deal sheet ahead of the initial deadline and Maresca was unable to offer any firm update.

Marc Guiu offered cause for concern during Chelsea’s clash with West Ham

REUTERS

“To be honest, I was just focused on the game and I’m still thinking about the game,” the Italian added. “The sporting directors are here, the chairman and we sit and we see all the things that happen. But everything that happened was planned from me, from the club, altogether.”

With Felix seemingly on course to join AC Milan on loan and Mykhailo Mudryk currently suspended after failing a drugs test, Chelsea will go into the second-half of the season with two fewer attacking options than when the campaign began.

Despite failing to reinforce his forward line this month, however, Maresca insists he has not been left short, citing the emergence of academy product Tyrique George.

“We have Tyrique who is a very good profile and probably we can find some different solutions,” he explained. “In the last half-an-hour we played with Marc Cucurella higher, with Christopher Nkunku inside. We’ll try to find different solutions.”