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Enzo Maresca has three options to solve Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson dilemma at Chelsea

Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku in conversation
-Credit: (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA)


Football can be a very simple game at times, so getting your two most in-form players into the same side should not be too difficult, should it?

Tell that to Enzo Maresca. The Italian is fortunate enough to have both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku battling it out for the No.9 spot in the Chelsea team.

Jackson bagged an early double against West Ham United on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League. Nkunku's reply? Go one better - with the 26-year-old scoring a wonderful hat-trick in the Blues' 5-0 demolition of Barrow in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

"We have a good squad with a lot of talent," Nkunku said when speaking to Chelsea's official website on Tuesday evening. "I think we need to be focused. We need to be focused to work hard because it's not only talent.

"This season is long, with a lot of games, so everybody needs to be focused. We are all in competition but the most important thing is to be united and go the same way. That is what we try to do. This is how the team are working this season."

It has given Maresca a bit of a selection headache. A wanted one, but still a headache.

READ MORE: Joao Felix has big Chelsea problem with Cole Palmer as Nkunku sends message to Nicolas Jackson

READ MORE: What Reece James did at full-time speaks volumes as Chelsea face big Christopher Nkunku decision

"This is a nice problem when you have two strikers that continue to score," Maresca said in his post-match press conference following the Barrow win. "Unfortunately, Marc Guiu is not scoring at the moment but hopefully soon he can. It is nice you can decide which one and because they are in a good moment we can use them."

The Italian was then asked if they could play together: "It could be. But the problem is the defensive balance.

"We can think to play with Nicolas, Christo, Joao [Felix], Cole Palmer, Noni [Madueke], fantastic! But then who is defending? Me and you?

"I would like to put all of them in because I really like football and I really like to keep the ball but the problem is when you lose the ball and then you have to defend. Not all of them can defend at the same level."

Jackson has featured in six matches in all competitions for Chelsea this season - being allowed a rest during the Blues' comfortable win over Barrow. The Senegal international, who watched from just behind the dugout alongside some other teammates that were also rested, has scored four times in those six matches and has assisted for his teammates twice.

Nkunku has played 65 minutes fewer than Jackson but has made two more appearances. The Frenchman has actually appeared in some capacity in every match thus far under the newly-appointed Maresca - which is some going considering his injury-riddled nightmare debut season with the club.

The former RB Leipzig attacker has scored six goals from the 11 shots he has taken this term. This gives him an astonishing 54.54% success rate when it comes to shot-to-goal conversion. Nkunku had three attempts on Tuesday night and scored the first hat-trick of his Chelsea career.

It is great for Chelsea that they have two strikers that are scoring for fun at the minute. But is it possible to keep both players happy throughout the season? Bobby Vincent takes a look at three options Maresca has to consider to get both men on the pitch at the same time.

Nkunku in the 10

During his time with Leipzig, Nkunku played all across the front line - and he has continued to do so at Chelsea, albeit with a much smaller sample size to choose from. One option, though, is for Nkunku to drop a bit deeper and operate as the No.10 in the Maresca system.

At the moment, Cole Palmer, last campaign's Player of the Season, is the man the head coach is using there in the Premier League. However, some Chelsea supporters have called for Palmer to move to the right-hand side; the position he was predominantly used in last season and flourished.

If that is the case, then Nkunku can tuck into the middle behind Jackson, who will be the No.9. This, though, does mean bad news for the likes of Noni Madueke and potentially Pedro Neto, who are, as Maresca confirmed recently, seen as the two main options to play on the right-hand side of attack.

Nkunku on the left

We saw Nkunku on the left wing during Chelsea's opening weekend defeat to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately, Nkunku was unable to provide any real attacking threat that day and fans put that down to his position and role more than anything else.

It means a lot more defensive work for Nkunku but that should not be an issue. The Frenchman is a workhorse off the ball and shows that no matter where he is playing.

The one big downside, though, is his lack of goal threat from the wing. Maresca typically likes his wide players to stay wide. See Mykhailo Mudryk against Barrow, for instance. The Ukrainian was hugging the touchline for the majority of the game to try and stretch the opposition, allowing more space for others to operate centrally.

Jackson on the left

This is the least likely of the three options but equally it should not be completely discounted. Jackson has been used on the left wing for Chelsea before, granted it has not happened under Maresca yet.

The Senegal international's speed and directness are assets to have for any winger. See his match-winning performance at West Ham over the weekend, even though he was playing as the No.9 in the setup, Jackson would often drift over to the left-hand side to find space.

His first goal against the Hammers came from him moving out to the left side and running into the box before slotting the ball under Alphonse Areola. Having Jackson on the left would vacate the No.9 role for Nkunku. The two could even interchange during the game to keep the opposition on their toes.