COBHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 24: Head Coach Enzo Maresca of Chelsea during a press conference at Chelsea Training Ground on February 24, 2025 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Enzo Maresca now has a number of attacking options for the trip to the City Ground (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has revealed Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are in contention to play against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Blues are set for a Premier League showdown at Forest on the final day of the season with Champions League qualification on the line.
Chelsea’s main striker Nicolas Jackson is unavailable for the trip to the City Ground after he was shown a red card in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United earlier this month.
It was thought that Nkunku would also miss the Forest game due to injury, with Tyrique George to lead the line against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side due to Chelsea being light on attacking options.
Chelsea head coach Maresca, though, has now revealed a double injury boost with forward Nkunku and striker Guiu set to make their returns.
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‘[Nkunku] is working with us in the last days, him and Guiu,’ Maresca told a pre-match press conference on Friday.
‘Both can be available for the next game, knowing that neither of them has played some minutes. They are both available [for Forest] yes.’
Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku (left) celebrates scoring their side's fifth goal of the game during the Carabao Cup third round match at Stamford Bridge, London. Picture date: Tuesday September 24, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Chelsea. Photo credit should read: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
Christopher Nkunku is set to make his return from injury (Picture: PA)
There is also no injury concern over Reece James – despite the Chelsea captain training separately from the main squad earlier this week.
Nkunku’s injury was unspecified but saw him miss more than a month of action, with the player not included in the last three Premier League matchday squads.
Guiu, meanwhile, has been ruled out since February due to the 19-year-old’s hamstring problem.
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Marc Guiu is also in contention to feature against Nottingham Forest (Picture: Getty)
It means Maresca now has a number of attacking options for the match against Forest – and it’s somewhat up in the air who will start up front.
Nkunku, if deemed fit enough to start, would be the most experienced option but there has been massive speculation over his future.
The Frenchman is reported to be at the centre of a six-way transfer race this summer.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, West Ham and PSG are all interested in signing the 27-year-old at the end of the season.
Chelsea fans have grown tired of Nkunku and even cruelly celebrated his most recent injury setback.
Nkunku is believed to have told the west London club that he wants to leave in the summer window.
The Blues signed him for £52m in 2023 from German side RB Leipzig and he’s under contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2029.
He’s played a total of 56 games for Chelsea to date, registering 17 goals and five assists.
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