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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has claimed the club will not qualify for the UEFA Champions League if two of their key players don't start performing well. He spoke about Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson in a press conference on April 18, prior to their Premier League clash against Fulham on April 20.
A journalist asked him if his team could fulfil their targets if Palmer and Jackson don't start scoring. He bluntly replied:
"No."
The Blues played their UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals second leg against Legia Warsaw on April 17. The match ended 2-1 in favour of Legia Warsaw, but the English side won 4-2 on aggregate.
In the fixture, forwards Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson were not up to the mark. Both players are going through a goal drought. If this continues, the London-based outfit might not be able to realise their ambitions of playing in the UEFA Champions League.
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While Cole Palmer has scored 14 goals in 31 Premier League appearances, Nicolas Jackson has netted nine goals in 26 games. Palmer has been playing on a regular basis. However, Jackson was out for two months due to a hamstring injury. The Senegalese forward returned to action on April 4 against Tottenham Hotspur. He played 45 minutes in the second leg of the quarter-finals against Legia Warsaw.
Palmer, who was the torch bearer for his side at the start of the campaign, has also stopped firing. The last time the English forward scored was back on January 15, against Bournemouth in a home fixture. Chelsea need to get these two players back in their previous form to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea boss confident of his forwards returning to form
Although Maresca bluntly admitted it would be impossible to achieve their targets without the red-hot forms of Palmer and Jackson, he was optimistic in both reclaiming it.
At the press conference, the Italian manager sounded confident about both the forwards concluding their goal drought. He mentioned (via Chelsea News):
"I’m confident because they scored goals (before). They have scored goals. It’s just a moment that they need to get through."
The Blues are placed sixth in the Premier League with 54 points to their name, a point behind Manchester City. Out of the 56 goals they have scored in their 32 games, 23 were contributed jointly by Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. This is 41.07% of their total goals.
As it is, the Premier League title hopes have ended for Chelsea. However, a top-five finish is still in sight. Hence, if the duo don't start firing, Maresca's side will not be able to manage a position suitable for the club of Chelsea's stature.
