Every word Enzo Maresca said on Jackson injury, Lavia and Fofana returns, Nkunku's crucial role

Enzo Maresca has just completed his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's trip to face Brighton in the Premier League.

The Blues take on the Seagulls on Friday evening in what is their second meeting in the space of six days. The west Londoners crashed out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage at the weekend but Maresca will be hoping his side can take some form of revenge when the two go head-to-head again at the Amex Stadium.

Here is every word the Italian had to say on Chelsea's mounting injury problems, Christopher Nkunku's role in the side and facing Brighton again:

Latest injury news?

"As you already know, Nico will be out until the international break; probably available after the international break. Marc Guiu also will be out for a while. Romeo Lavia is in the process to be back with us. Benoit Badiashile exactly the same and Wes Fofana started to work with us two days ago - that means he will need two or three weeks to be 100% fit but at least he has started to work with us."

Why is Jackson's absence longer than you initially thought?

"We knew it was a muscular problem but we didn't know how important it was. His reaction was quite good so we all thought that was not a big injury but unfortunately he had the scan a few days ago and it was important one. He will be around six or eight weeks."

What is Guiu's injury?

"Exactly the same. Marc, I think is hamstring, yes."

Could Christopher Nkunku play a big role now?

"Christo can be one of the solutions but he is not the only solution. We will try to find different solutions. I've said many times: I consider Christo a very important player since we started. The problem is they think they are only important if they play, if they don't play they don't feel like they are important.

"Now, also, with the transfer window closed, everyone is here. He can try and help us until the end."

What are your other solutions?

"We are working, because of the Nico and Marc situation, we are trying to find different solutions. That can be Christo because he played the last game, or it can be different kind of players. If you don't have a proper nine, who can be a threat always, you have to change not only the nine but also a bit the way you want to play."

Is Reece James available?

"Reece is okay. Against Brighton in the FA Cup, it was planned to give him a rest. He had some more rest in the last days but he is available."

How important is it now that you make sure all of your good work so far does not become undone in the next few weeks?

"I don't think what we have done can be cancelled, or not good, because what we have done is there. Unfortunately we are out of both the domestic cups but our journey in the Premier League until today has been fantastic and in the Conference League, it has been fantastic until today. We will try to finish in the best way we can.

"Don't forget in the last two years, Chelsea have never been top four and this year, we spent almost the entire year in the top four. This shows you and everyone that we are in the right direction. Now we will try our best to finish and bring this club to where it belongs to be - in the Champions League."

Could you play a winger as the No.9?

"It could be a solution, for sure. Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto] or even Tyrique [George], they can try and be a solution for us. Jadon [Sancho] with different kind of skills. When you don't have a proper nine, you probably need to use a different kind of nine but you probably have to change the way you want to play. You cannot be direct; you probably need more linking because you don't have a threat in behind. We will find a solution."

Will you be picking your goalkeeper game by game?

"The Filip [Jorgensen] solution was also to give Robert [Sanchez] some time to recover mentally and physically in general. The idea is not game by game to change the 'keeper. In the last Premier League game against West Ham, it was Filip and then in the FA Cup game, it was Robert but our 'keeper in this moment is Filip."

Do you expect a similar tactical battle against Brighton?

"I expect a similar one. It's not just against us but in all of their games, they try to be aggressive, their central defenders and central midfielders, all of them. I expect a very similar game."

Is it easier to play Brighton twice in the space of a week?

"Because it is fresh in your mind; the way they defend and the way they attack, it can probably be easy but in the end, it is a game so it is never easy. But because you know what they do or what they try to do, it is probably better to face them immediately."

What have you made of Fabian Hurzeler this season?

"I prefer not to say nothing about their manager."

Because of how well Nottingham Forest are doing this season, do you think this means one of Chelsea or Man City will miss out on the Champions League?

"I didn't say our target was top four. The club never told me the target was top four. When I signed here, the target was in two years playing in the Champions League, not in one year. This is why I have said many times we are above my expectation.

"Nottingham Forest are doing fantastic, very good, so congratulations to them. We will see how we finish."

If you don't finish in the top four, has the season been a success or failure?

"We will see how we finish."

Just a one-word answer?

"We will see how we finish. The good thing about me is I'm not saying something different to you today that I said one month ago. Since day one, I've always said the same: I'm not looking at May or June, I'm looking game by game how we can improve - and only that. We will see at the end of the season."

Is this the toughest period you've had as Chelsea head coach?

"No. No, because I expect a time where we struggle in terms of results. Don't forget the last Premier League game we won."

The injuries as well...

"The good thing about the injury one is we are all in the same situation. You see City in the last game, it was Akanji out, Grealish out. Arsenal, I don't know how important the injury is for the striker. We are all on the same page. It is just a matter now to see if we can find different solutions."

Do you see Nkunku as a natural No.9?

"No, I've said since day one that Christo is not a nine. Christo is an attacking midfielder. We use him as a nine to find a solution but we know very good that Christo is not a proper nine."

Wesley Fofana - is he making good progress?

"He started with us a few days ago. It doesn't mean he will be with us very soon - he still needs two or three weeks. The thing we can see him with the squad, it is already a good feeling."

When will Lavia be ready to play?

"Could be again - more or less like Nico - after the international break."

Worried about Lavia's injury record?

"It happens. It is football and they can get injuries. Unfortunately we have our injured players they more or less had the same problems the year before. If you have injuries one year, the year after you are going to struggle. It's normal.

"Romeo, in terms of numbers, he has improved compared to last season with games played. Hopefully he can finish well the last part of the season and be more fit next season."

Is Filip Jorgensen now the Premier League goalkeeper for the foreseeable future?

"I spoke with Robert a few days before West Ham where I took the decision to play Filip. I never spoke again with Robert. With Filip, exactly the same. They know in this moment the situation."

Is this the situation until the end of the season?

"This is the situation now and then we will see the situation. In this moment, it is like this."

Do you think Nkunku can offer the same as Jackson?

"They are different on the ball and they are different off the ball. Sometimes we complain about players and when they don't play, you realise how important they are to the team.

"Every press conference, you ask me about Nico and every press conference, I say that he is an important player that is doing fantastic on and off the ball. Then when he didn't play against Brighton, everyone was thinking that it is difficult to play without a No.9.

"We know exactly how good is Nico on and off the ball. Christo is a completely different player on and off the ball. This is the reason why I said we need to change something because we don't have a proper No.9 at the moment."

Does that mean changing a lot about the way you play?

"Not everything but you probably need to adjust something because the skills of the players are different."