Didier Drogba, Loic Remy and Diego Costa may all be out for Chelsea on Sunday, what are Jose’s options up front?
Chelsea’s striker curse seemed to have been ended with the signing of Diego Costa. The striker scored goal after goal in the opening weeks of the season, and seemed to have single handedly broken the curse.
But Chelsea find themselves up against it up front again, with Costa’s nagging injury finally overcoming him, Loic Remy hurting himself while scoring against Maribor, which in turn forced an unfit Didier Drogba to play 70 minutes.
There aren’t many options left for Jose Mourinho, here are a few he could consider.
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5) Dominic Solanke to start up front.
The 17-year-old came on for his Chelsea debut on Tuesday night, and may be called into action sooner than expected. Rather than play a half-fit Drogba, who looked dreadfully ineffective and ill-suited to Chelsea’s new style in the only game he started, Mourinho could risk playing the talented youngster from the start.
4) John Terry to start up front.
John Terry scored a goal against Maribor. There’s nothing unusual about that in itself, John Terry has scored quite a few goals. But this wasn’t a header from a corner. Terry won the ball in midfield and then broke forward on the counter, racing 100 yards forward with the team and sliding in Fabregas’ cross. The centre-back used to be a striker – why not give him a go at Old Trafford?
3) Eden Hazard as a false nine.
A slightly more sensible option. Eden Hazard is not a striker by any means, but he has the skillset to play in the false nine role, essentially the furthest forward attacking midfielder in a strikerless formation. Given the havoc wrought in the Manchester United defence by players like Leonardo Ulloa and Stephane Sessegnon in recent weeks, one dreads to think what the movement and trickery of Hazard could do to the Red Devil’s back line.
2) André Schurrle to start up front.
Schurrle has been unwell, and was unable to play at the weekend or today. If he has recovered sufficiently, Jose seems likely to pick him as a striker. Mourinho did a similar thing at Old Trafford last year and Schurrle did not impress up front in a dire 0-0 draw, but the team is a much more coherent attacking unit now, and Schurrle does have some experience up front.
1) Unfit Drogba to start up front.
Probably the most likely option, Mourinho will pick Drogba as long as he is not too far off full fitness. He is slow and sluggish these days, but he still has the movement and power of a top striker, and that might be enough against a shaky United back line.