Chelsea Has No Healthy Striker in Roster

Chelsea has no healthy striker heading into the fixture against Brighton. According to pay per head bookie experts, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said they needed to find someone after going into the game without a center forward.

The Italian is probably still looking for his footing after getting thudded 3-0 without having a shot on goal. Chelsea has spent almost £1.5 billion since the Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly acquisition, which went through less than three years ago. However, an injury problem has made the team appear incredibly thin, especially up front.

What gave them the idea that they wouldn’t have fit attackers available to fix their offensive woes?

Chelsea Has No Healthy Striker

Since acquiring the club, Chelsea has stocked up on offensive talent. The Blues have spent £445 million on attackers, but none has shown to be a good number nine—not even Nicolas Jackson, who is now out with an injury.

After signing the contract with the experienced Pierre Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona for £12 million under former manager Thomas Tuchel, the German was fired after a 100-day evaluation by the owner. Aubameyang never got the chance to show what he was capable of. Before relocating to Saudi Arabia, he had a spectacular season in France, scoring goals for Marseille.

David Datro Fofana, Deivid Washington, and Marc Guiu were the only other center attackers recruited. They were all young players who cost just £34 million. No one has shown signs of being prepared to play at the level needed to satisfy Chelsea’s demands, much less the Premier League.

According to sportsbook management software reports, Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, and Cole Palmer—mostly wingers or number 10s—were the primary recipients of that £445 million. Only Palmer has been consistently productive; in 2024, he had a hand in a league-high 39 goals (26 goals and 13 assists).

In 2023, Felix drew a staggering £10 million in loan fees from Atletico Madrid; last summer, he returned to the club permanently for £45 million. On loan at AC Milan at the moment.

Forwards in Chelsea’s Roster

Jackson’s hamstring injury will keep him out of action for six weeks. Scans have shown that the situation is significantly worse for the 23-year-old Senegalese striker, who came off hurt against West Ham two weeks ago. Manager José Mourinho was initially confident that the player had averted a severe setback.

The 19-year-old striker Guiu will also be out for weeks or months after hurting his groin against the Hammers; he has not yet made a Premier League start. Mudryk, a Ukrainian, has been placed on suspension following reports that he tested positive for a prohibited drug.

In Brighton, Noni Madueke seemed to strain his hamstring while setting up a golden opportunity for Palmer; after going off the field, he headed straight to the tunnel for treatment, adding insult to injury for Chelsea. After the fact, Maresca said he would be absent for some time.

That left academy winger Tyrique George as Chelsea’s only second-half offensive option since Chelsea’s last three healthy senior forwards—Palmer, Pedro Neto, and Jadon Sancho—were all on the field following Madueke’s replacement.

Since Nkunku is having trouble playing up front for Brighton, Maresca has suggested that he may change his strategy for the match. According to pay per head experts, the French international has been awful recently, appearing in only 11 league appearances in all competitions and scoring a meager one goal.

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