LONDON — Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca provided an update on Christopher
Nkunku, who missed out again on Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool
after suffering an injury in training earlier this week, revealing that the
striker will still be out for 10-15 days with an injury.
Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA
Champions League with a 3-1 victory over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge
on Sunday evening.
"Christo will be out for I think one week or two
weeks, we are not sure. We will see. He will be out for the next ten to 15
days," Maresca said.
Nkunku is likely to be on his way out of Chelsea at the
end of the season, so there is a chance he may have played his last game for
the Blues already.
After the win over Liverpool, Chelsea remain fifth but
now have a three-point cushion over sixth-place Nottingham Forest, who play
Crystal Palace on Monday. Chelsea are also level on points with fourth-placed
Newcastle United, whom they play at St James' Park next weekend.
The race for the five Champions League places remains
incredibly tight after another interesting weekend of results.
The top two - Liverpool and Arsenal - both lost this
weekend, Newcastle United needed a last-gasp penalty to draw with Brighton
& Hove Albion on Sunday, while Manchester City and Aston Villa both
recorded 1-0 wins to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, respectively.
It means just seven points separate Nottingham Forest and
Villa in sixth and seventh and the Gunners in third.
"My feeling is that – and I have had this already
for a long time from when you work with the players everyday – they are all on
the same page and heading in the same direction, in terms of how we want to
play but also in terms of creating the right culture. It is so important,"
said Maresca.