Chelsea’s hopes for next season now come down to just one Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on the final day of the 24/25 season.
The Blues will know that a win will see them qualify for the Champions League, something that has been accepted as Enzo Maresca’s target in his first season at the club.
While there is seemingly no chance Maresca is sacked this summer, the manager faces the biggest game of his career so far at the City Ground on Sunday.
Of all the headaches he faces in terms of squad selection, the biggest one is to do with who will start up front for the Blues against dominant central defensive duo Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo.
Nicolas Jackson remains unavailable after his red card, and the experiment of Tyrique George did not have the desired impact against Manchester United.
Enzo Maresca must start Marc Guiu for Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest
Rather than starting Christopher Nkunku, who could be available after missing a number of games due to injury, Maresca should instead be sweating on the fitness of Marc Guiu.
The Spaniard has not featured since February due to injury, however the boss recently stated that he was closing in on a return, and could have even featured in the matchday squad against United.
When he was fit, Guiu was finding the net on a regular basis, especially when given the chance in Europe. He was the top scorer in the group stages of the Conference League.
Chelsea not underestimating Guiu’s importance
The Blues have faced problems up front throughout most of 2025, with Jackson and Guiu suffering serious injuries in the same game.
This has left them without a recognised centre-forward for large parts of the campaign, and even though a lot have been upset at Jackson’s absence, those at Chelsea believe Guiu could have made an impact too.
The Spaniard holds the best possibility at dealing with the physical threat the Forest centre-backs offer, and will stand the best chance of getting his fellow attackers into the game.
