So far this season, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has struggled to get Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku into the same team.
While Cole Palmer has been a mainstay in the starting XI, Christopher Nkunku has only made one start in the Premier League.
Nkunku’s best position is just behind the centre-forward, but Palmer has been occupying that role this term and excellently. He already has 12 goal contributions in as many games.
Going forward, though, Maresca has stated that he could use both of them together. Maresca was impressed with Nkunku in pre-season, but the 27-year-old has not had the opportunity to shine in the current Premier League campaign.
Cole Palmer of Chelsea and Christopher Nkunku of Chelsea talk as they wait for a VAR verdict on a potential penalty during the Premier League match...
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
What has Enzo Maresca said about Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku?
Palmer and Nkunku were in Chelsea’s starting line-up for their first Premier League game of the season against Manchester City.
The Blues went on to lose 2-0 and since then, Palmer and Nkunku have not started another match alongside each other.
However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s Conference League game against Heidenheim, Maresca did not rule out using the duo together again in the future.
“The last game we tried with Joao [Felix] and Cole together,” the Chelsea boss said. “Hopefully soon we can try with Christo and Cole together, Christo and Joao together, because we have so many games.”
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While the Frenchman is struggling for game time right now, Nkunku will not be joining Borussia Dortmund in January.
Chelsea’s potential line-up with Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku
Against City, Palmer started on the right, while Nkunku was used on the opposite flank. Since then, the former has been moved into the No.10 position, while the latter has been dropped.
Maresca could do the same thing in the future, but Nkunku taking up a more central position with Palmer starting on the right seems a bit more likely.
Palmer played there often last season, so it would not be foreign territory for the England international.
Position Player
GK Robert Sanchez
LB Marc Cucurella
CB Levi Colwill
CB Wesley Fofana
RB Malo Gusto
MF Enzo Fernandez
MF Moises Caicedo
LW Pedro Neto
AM Christopher Nkunku
RW Cole Palmer
ST Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea’s potential line-up with Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson
Maresca could always start Nkunku up front, but there is no reason to drop Nicolas Jackson right now with the form he is in. At present, Jackson is up there with Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.
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