Enzo Maresca assessing Chelsea options to replace suspended Nicolas Jackson | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said he is assessing his attacking options with striker Nicolas Jackson’s suspension for Friday’s visit of Manchester United having once again shown up his lack of alternatives.

Jackson will not play again this season in the Premier League after being dismissed for elbowing Newcastle’s Sven Botman last Sunday, leaving the team without a recognised number nine for the remainder of the run-in.

Chelsea have spent well over £1billion during the last three seasons but the failure to bring in an established goalscorer continues to rankle among fans.

The club’s only other senior striker besides Jackson, 19-year-old Marc Guiu, has been injured since February and is yet to score in the league.

The Blues need to win both of their remaining games if they are to keep Champions League qualification in their own hands but will likely be forced to start with either Pedro Neto or Tyrique George filling in in the number nine role against Ruben Amorim’s side, while Cole Palmer could also be deployed.

Wingers Neto and George each had a turn up front during the nearly two months that Jackson was out injured earlier in the year but Chelsea struggled for goals for much of that spell, drawing blanks in three of the six matches that the 23-year-old was unable to start.

“We are working on that,” said Maresca of his quest for a solution. “These are the options that we have. Marc Guiu is still injured, he’s started to train with us but he’s not ready to play from the start. We are working on different options for Friday night.”

Jackson’s dismissal at St James’ Park for serious foul play has put his temperament in the spotlight, particularly with speculation ongoing that Chelsea will enter the market for a striker in the summer.

Last season he was suspended just six league matches into his Chelsea career after accumulating five yellow cards, all of which were received for dissent.

“Nico is intelligent enough to recognise that has been an error, has been a mistake,” said Maresca.

“It’s not about his age. No matter the age, if you make a mistake, it’s OK. All of us make mistakes. But if you make the same mistake again, it’s not the best thing.”

Asked whether he believes Jackson has the maturity and temperament to lead Chelsea’s line long-term, he said: “I think so. It’s normal that after a red card the light is on Nico.”

Teams in Europe have operated with some success in the absence of  a striker in recent years but Maresca doubts whether it is a catch-all solution.

“Against a (defensive) line of five I prefer a real nine because you need to attack in behind, you need the threat. We don’t have one so we need to find a different solution.