Chelsea entered their club World Cup clash with Flamengo, and they finally had two knockout strikers to call.
Nicolas Jackson was their only option last season, but the combination of injury and suspension limited the impact of Senegales forward at Stamford Bridge. His regular absence means boss Enzo Maresca has to take advantage of options, including Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer as fake Knicks.
Chelsea signed Ipswich’s Liam Delap earlier this month and gave him a positive impression in a LAFC win that beat LAFC 2-0 on Monday night.
Jackson and Delap ended with assists to the Californians, Jackson turned smart and claimed Neto for the opener, while Delap replaced the bench to provide Enzo Fernandez with a cross to seal the three.
“Both are very good nines, hoping both will score goals and get assists,” Maresca said. “I prefer to have four to five players who have 10 or 12 goals per player and a shooter scored 40 goals. Enzo also scored again, which is good.
“Last year, we tried to use different threats, different weapons; we still had two or three months without Nico and Marc [Guiu].
“We’re trying to find different solutions, but it’s certain that when you have two forwards like Nico and Liam, it feels great as a head coach.
“You know you can choose one of them, and it’s going to be a good choice.”
Our focus is shifting to Chelsea 🧠 pic.twitter.com/pbgthfy7rp
– Flamengo (@flamengo_en) June 19, 2025
Chelsea’s LAFC didn’t always go well until Fernandez’s goal started from 11 minutes full time, and MLS was still in the game.
Flamengo should propose a harsh test.
They are managed by former Chelsea defender Filipe Luis, who prefers high-emergency, high-energy gaming. Thanks to goals from Luiz Araujo and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, the Brazilian beat Esperance 2-0 on his first outing.
Jorginho’s debut against the Tunisian side in Flamengo is expected to face his former club in Philadelphia.
When asked about his opinion of the game, the experienced midfielder thought it might boil down to details. He said: “I believe the game is always like this [ups and downs]especially large ones, have two teams that like to control their opponents.
“We have to be ready to run, suffer because it will happen, and be prepared when in control, because it will happen too. For those who will watch it, it can be a great game. In these great games, the details make a difference. We have to enjoy it in the best way when we have the chance.”
Flamengo V Chelsea Team News
Delap may give Jackson the opportunity to evaluate both. Trevoh Chalobah may also replace Tosin arabioyo.
De La Cruz and Alex Sandro are fully trained and can get started. Both Araujo and De Arrascaeta missed training on Wednesday, but it is expected to be right.
🇺🇸💪 pic.twitter.com/buwo6nnnyk
– Chelsea Football Club (@chelseafc) June 18, 2025
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