Enzo Maresca has warned Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson that Chelsea will fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League if they are unable to end their respective goal droughts.
Palmer hasn’t scored in his last 15 matches across all competitions – since a strike against Bournemouth on 14 January – while Jackson’s goalless run currently stands at 12 games and has stretched over four months.
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The pair were both surprise inclusions in Chelsea’s starting XI against Legia Warsaw on Thursday night, and despite a second-leg loss, Maresca has insisted that he doesn’t regret his decision to start the duo.
“Using them is to build a little the physical condition, but also to build mentally a little, because they struggle to score in this moment,” Maresca told reporters ahead of the Blues’ crucial Premier League clash versus Fulham on Sunday.
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“To give them 45 minutes, one hour, it’s a chance to see if they can score and they can go again. When they don’t score, for sure I’m worried.”
When asked whether Chelsea will be able to qualify for the Champions League if Palmer and Jackson continue to flounder in front of goal, Maresca bluntly admitted: “No.
“I’m confident because they scored goals,” Maresca added after being pressed on the issue. “Cole scored 14 goals in 20 Premier League games. He scored goals.
“Nico was the same before the injury. Now, unfortunately, Nico was out for two months, so probably physicality needs a little more. And this is the same for Cole.”
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Maresca was then asked about the future of Jadon Sancho – who is currently set to join Chelsea on a permanent deal for €30 million once his loan spell from Manchester United ends this summer.
“The only thing we said to Jadon, and all our offensive players, is that we need more, in terms of numbers, goals and assists,” Maresca admitted.
“So Jadon, as you said in the last games, is doing better. But we need goals and assists from Nico, from Cole, from Noni [Madueke], from Pedro [Neto], from Enzo [Fernandez].
“[Jadon’s future] is the same as with Andrey Santos. In this moment, I’m not thinking at all about next year or the players that can be here next year. I’m just thinking how we can get the best from them to finish the season very strong.”
Chelsea face Fulham on Sunday afternoon, while the first-leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden will take place on Thursday 1 May.
