With Nicolas Jackson sidelined, Chelsea must find new attacking strategies to secure victory against Brighton

Chelsea will face Brighton in the Premier League without their main striker, Nicolas Jackson, who suffered a hamstring injury. Manager Enzo Maresca must now restructure his attacking formation to compensate for Jackson’s absence. The injury also rules out teenage striker Marc Guiu, who picked up a knock in Chelsea’s recent win over West Ham.

Maresca’s side struggled offensively in their recent FA Cup loss to Brighton, and with limited options, the manager must rethink his attacking strategy. Christopher Nkunku, despite his struggles in the No. 9 role, remains a key option. Though not a natural striker, Nkunku has proven his ability to score, netting 13 goals across competitions this season. However, he often drops deep to link play, which reduces his goal-scoring opportunities. Chelsea’s success depends on Nkunku adapting to a central attacking role and resisting his usual inclination to play deeper.

Alternatively, Maresca could deploy Cole Palmer as a false nine. Palmer has been Chelsea’s top scorer and offers creativity in the final third. His ability to find space and link up play could give Chelsea the fluidity they need in attack. However, this approach requires wingers to push higher and midfielders to contribute more to goal-scoring opportunities.

Another option is a two-striker system, pairing Nkunku and Palmer up front. This setup would demand a shift in Chelsea’s tactical approach, with midfielders providing deeper support and fullbacks pushing forward to supply crosses. While untested under Maresca, this strategy could maximize Chelsea’s attacking firepower.

With Brighton looking to capitalize on Chelsea’s attacking struggles, Maresca must make the right call to keep his team competitive. The absence of Jackson presents a challenge, but Chelsea have enough talent to adapt and find a way to victory.