Chelsea have been dealt a fresh injury blow over young striker Marc Guiu, who appeared to hurt himself in Monday's 2-1 Premier League win over West Ham United.
The former Barcelona man was introduced early in the second half for Nicolas Jackson, who himself appeared to have picked up a hamstring problem in the first half before managing to soldier on.
Jackson was eventually replaced by Guiu at the start of the second period, as Enzo Maresca's men came from behind to prevail 2-1 and reclaim a top-four place in the Premier League table.
However, the evening ended on a slightly sour note for Guiu, who was presented with a promising chance to put Chelsea further ahead late on, but he failed to get the ball under control and overstretched himself as he went down.
The striker lay stricken in the penalty area as the Blues saw out the final few moments of the game, and he had to be attended to by medics and teammates after the final whistle blew.
According to journalist Simon Johnson, Guiu cut a "very upset" figure as he gingerly headed down the tunnel at full time, and Maresca will be expected to provide an update on his issue in due course.
How big a blow would losing Guiu be?
Guiu going down the tunnel looking injured and very upset. How long is left in the window to sign a striker? #CFC
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) February 3, 2025
The 19-year-old Guiu is of course far from the finished product and has only been offered fleeting minutes in the Premier League, but his possible absence could have a significant impact on Chelsea continentally.
With six goals in six Conference League fixtures, no player has scored more goals than the Blues man in the 2024-25 competition; teammate Christopher Nkunku is joint-second with five on the list.
Chelsea have few out-and-out striker options barring Guiu and Jackson; Nkunku is not and out-and-out number nine, Deivid Washington is only 19 as well and the recalled David Datro Fofana will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Joao Felix would have been another solution up front, but the Portugal international is on the verge of sealing a loan switch to AC Milan, and Guiu's injury could expose Chelsea's attacking failings in the transfer market depending on how deep they can go in the Conference League.
Thankfully for Maresca, what looked to have been a pulled hamstring for Jackson in the first half is seemingly not so serious, as the Senegalese striker was able to start the second half before being withdrawn.
Pedro Neto's strike and an Aaron Wan-Bissaka own goal cancelled out Jarrod Bowen's opener on Monday night, and Chelsea now prepare to return to action away to West Ham United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Ben Knapton
