Why Chelsea hierarchy & sporting directors have been handed transfer reminder after double injury blow | OneFootball

Chelsea’s decision to not land a new striker in the January transfer window is now coming back to hurt them.

Two days prior to the deadline, Chelsea had both of their recognised strikers, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, fit and available. But hours before the window was due to close, Jackson and Guiu sustained injuries during their 2-1 win over West Ham in the Premier League.

The timing of their injuries was and is extremely unfortunate. Following scans, Chelsea will be without Jackson until April and Guiu is likely to be absent for a similar period.

Nobody could’ve envisaged Chelsea being without both strikers a couple of weeks ago, and should it have happened earlier in the window, it’s extremely likely the club would’ve acted and brought in a short-term replacement.

Although, Chelsea are light in midfield given the departure of Cesare Casadei and injury to Romeo Lavia, yet they waited until the last minute, despite having Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu out on loan, to bring in 19-year-old Mathis Amougou from St-Etienne, who is unlikely to be selected by Enzo Maresca between now and the end of the season.

Chelsea hope Jackson will be available in April. / IMAGO / Pro Sports Images

Chelsea are on a difficult run of form in the Premier League. They remain in fourth place and in pole position to qualify for next season's Champions League. Maresca insists he expected a period of struggle and remains adamant that a top four finish was not the remit from the club's hierarchy this season.

He said: "I expected a time where we'd struggle with results. Don't forget, we won the last Premier League game (against West Ham). The good thing about injuries is we are all in the same situation, City had Grealish out, Arsenal I don't know how important the injury is for the striker (Kai Havertz)."

Maresca added: "I didn't say our target is top four. The club never said that. When I signed, the target was in two years to play Champions League. Not in one year.

"We will see how we finish. Now is not the time. I'm not saying to do something today different than a month ago. I am looking to improve and we will see at the end of the season."

With the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa, Southampton and Leicester City awaiting in the Premier League, Chelsea will have to find solutions to cope with the absences of Jackson and Guiu.

The club's sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, had eyed several potential strikers during January, including Liam Delap of Ipswich Town, Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres and Benjamin Šeško of RB Leipzig, as well as Brighton's Evan Ferguson, who joined West Ham on loan until the end of the season.

Maresca will be relying on Palmer more than ever to pull Chelsea through until Jackson returns. / IMAGO / Sportimage

Chelsea opted not to make any major moves in January despite their heavy reliance on Jackson, who is without a league goal in eight matches, to lead the line. Although bad luck is a heavy factor, bad squad planning is now playing a significant role for Maresca, who is now needing to find solutions.

Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku are the obvious alternatives despite it not being their preferred positions, while Maresca also hinted wingers Tyrique George, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke may even be considered.

"Could be a solution," said Maresca. "Pedro (Neto), Noni (Madueke) or Tyrique (George) can try to be a solution (and play up front). Jadon with a different set of skills. It's not just about a nine. When you don't have a proper nine you need to use a different kind of nine and choose how you want to play. You can't be direct, you need more linking."

Over the next couple of weeks, Maresca will be judged on how he copes and how Chelsea adapt with a recognised striker available for selection. But the analysis must stretch further than just bad luck and timing for Jackson and Guiu's injuries. If they planned the build of the squad correctly, they would not be scratching their heads searching for a short-term fix in a pivotal part of the season.