Enzo Maresca jokes he may have to play HIMSELF up front amid Chelsea’s growing injury problems – with Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both out

Enzo Maresca joked he might have to play up front himself after injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, along with a lack of movement in the January transfer market, left Chelsea facing a striker shortage ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup trip to Brighton.

Even Shumaira Mheuka, the 17-year-old academy graduate who has been on the fringes on the first team this season, is overcoming a thigh issue with Maresca considering using Cole Palmer or Christopher Nkunku – neither of whom are strikers – out of necessity.

Jackson picked up a minor hamstring problem in Monday’s 2-1 Premier League comeback win over West Ham and, while Chelsea are hopeful he will not be sidelined for long, Maresca admitted it would be a ‘risk’ to use him at the Amex Stadium. His 19-year-old understudy Guiu will be missing for several weeks after hurting his upper leg in the same game.

Chelsea ended the January window with a weaker attack than the one they had at its start as they loaned Joao Felix, who could have been an option for leading the line, to AC Milan without bringing in a new forward. Felix scored on his Milan debut in midweek.

Mail Sport asked Maresca at today’s press conference to list his striker options if he is without both Jackson and Guiu at Brighton, and the Blues boss responded by pointing to himself. Smiling, he continued: ‘Christo has played already as a nine. I had Cole playing as a nine in the past. We can find some different solution.

‘It’s bad luck that from the same game (against West Ham), two strikers both have an injury. Fortunately the Nico one looks quite good so it’s not a problem. It’s a shame for Marc.

‘The reason why Marc was still here in January was because I can see, day by day, that he is growing, improving, getting better. It is a shame now that he is injured. The future will for sure be 100 per cent with him because he is a very good player.’

On Felix, who Chelsea allowed to leave only six months into a seven-year contract, Maresca rebuffed suggestions that he did not want to sign the 25-year-old Portuguese who cost £46.3million from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

‘If Joao was here, it’s because I wanted to sign Joao,’ Maresca said. ‘I don’t know about the future. It’s complicated to talk about the future.’

Chelsea had until 11pm on Thursday to confirm their updated Conference League squad which will be valid all the way to the final in Wroclaw on May 28.

With only three new additions allowed as per UEFA rules, they have brought in Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah and their only January signing in 19-year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou, who joined from Saint-Etienne for £12m. Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia will not play a part in the European competition as they are still coming back from big injuries.

Palmer was previously left out of the league phase in a bid to manage his minutes, but the departure of Felix, who was his chief deputy at No 10, means he faces a demanding end to the season. ‘I don’t think it is something that is going to make a difference for Cole,’ Maresca countered before adding on whether Chelsea will need to revisit signing a striker when the window next opens. ‘For sure, in the summer, we will see if we need something different, not only in terms of striker but in general. From there, we decide.’