Context: Chelsea’s Injury Updates Ahead of Brighton Clash
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has provided significant injury updates ahead of their Premier League match against Brighton at Stamford Bridge. Key players like Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, and Christopher Nkunku have contributed to Chelsea’s recent form, with Nkunku scoring a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup win over Barrow. However, Nkunku is expected to remain out of the starting XI despite his recent performances. Malo Gusto has also returned to action, but Reece James remains the only senior player unavailable due to injury.
Enzo Maresca on Team Selection and Attacking Balance:
Maresca: “I’ll be honest. I’ll be honest with him [Nkunku] and all of them. I’ve said to them since day one we cannot play with seven or eight attacking players otherwise there is no defensive balance.”
Maresca on Player Form:
Maresca: “Nico [Jackson] is playing in the Premier League and scored two goals [vs West Ham] and Christo [Nkunku] played the other day and scored three.”
Context: Lavia’s Potential Involvement
Romeo Lavia, who has recently returned from injury, could feature in the squad against Brighton. Maresca is yet to decide on whether Lavia will start the match.
Enzo Maresca on Lavia’s Availability:
Maresca: “We will see. We will see. We have one more session and then we will decide, but the important thing is that he is finally back.”
Context: Reece James Injury
Reece James, who was suspended for the first three games of the season, suffered a new injury during training and is still out. Although no new update was provided, James is reportedly working hard on his recovery and maintaining a positive outlook.
