Liam Delap & Nicolas Jackson learn Enzo Maresca's Chelsea plans for striker selection | OneFootball

Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson have learned Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca's stance on the possibility of two strikers playing together next season.

After competing against Christopher Nkunku, who is expected to leave Chelsea this summer, and youngster Marc Guiu for the striker spot in 2024-25, Jackson will now face stiff competition for Liam Delap, who was signed from Ipswich Town in a £30m transfer this summer.

Delap has made a positive impression on the Chelsea staff and his teammates during his first few weeks at Stamford Bridge, and the 22-year-old delivered on the pitch at the very first opportunity he was given by Maresca, who he worked with at youth level at Manchester City.

After coming on in the second half of their Club World Cup fixture against LAFC, Delap provided the assist for Enzo Fernandez's goal, which sealed a 2-0 win for Chelsea in Atlanta, United States.

IMAGO / Xinhua

“I see how good Delap is," Fernandez told SportyTV, "and I hope he can assist me many more times and I can assist him too."

In an interview with DAZN, Maresca added: "Absolutely (happy with his performance). The good thing about Liam, he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick."

The battle is now on, over the duration of the Club World Cup, for Jackson and Delap to prove to Maresca, who tends to play with a single striker, why they should start and lead the line for Chelsea next season.

Jackson has an immediate hurdle to get over. He will be suspended for Chelsea's opening Premier League game of the 2025/26 season due to his red card against Newcastle United at the end of 2024-25, giving Delap a chance to make an instant impression in the league for the Blues.

With Maresca confirming he will rotate the squad throughout the Club World Cup to keep the squad fresh, it could give the chance for Delap to make his first start for Chelsea since joining.

IMAGO / Xinhua

But with Jackson and Delap available and competing for the starting striker spot next season, is there a possibility for Maresca to play the two together?

Maresca left the door open, telling reporters during his pre-match press conference ahead of their Club World Cup fixture against Flamengo on Friday: "I don't think at Leicester we ever played with two strikers together, but we'll see if Nico and Liam can play together."