Christopher Nkunku’s push to be in the Chelsea starting team continues. Last night he scored again and extended his lead as the club’s top scorer for the season.
But Enzo Maresca has his preferred attackers decided, and it’s tricky for Nkunku to break into that setup. His best position is Cole Palmer’s position, and the wonderkid isn’t going anywhere.
Maresca had already made it very clear that he’d love to get Nkunku into the team, but also explained why that’s a tricky thing to set up:
“The problem with Christo, not the problem but it’s the same thing we mention many times about Joao [Felix]. If you play with Cole, you play with Joao, or Christo, or Noni [Madueke], or Jadon [Sancho] — who is defending? Their skills and strength is not defending; it’s to attack,” Maresca explained.
“We love them but also we need the balance. Last game [against Leicester], we tried with Cole and Joao together. Soon, we can try with Christo and Cole, Christo and Joao, for sure. We have so many games. I completely want Christo to stay with us; I don’t have any idea to let him leave in January.”
Nkunku – Palmer partnership just around the corner
Last weekend, Joao Felix made it easy for him by doing the obvious thing and just defending like a demon. He won 14 duels, more than anyone else on the pitch. That’s not something we saw coming from him.
So this competition for places really is working as intended – you not only have to be good in attack now, you also have to put a shift in defensively. Maybe Nkunku, next time he’s picked, will follow suit?
Still, Maresca’s promise that “soon” we will see Nkunku and Palmer in the first team together is a tempting idea.
