Chelsea will face another tense 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest at the end of next week if they cannot come up with a more convincing solution for life without Nicolas Jackson.
The Blues' 1-0 victory over Manchester United helped them continue to move towards their goal of qualifying for the Champions League next season. However, that was the result of a boring evening.
The goal in the 71st minute came from a cross from one full-back to the other. A great handling by Reece James created space to get the ball into the penalty area, where Marc Cucurella headed the ball into Andre Onana's net.
England captain Thomas Tuchel will be delighted to watch this goal from the stands at Stamford Bridge. Previously, as Chelsea coach, Tuchel also praised the qualities of attack full-backs, especially James.
In addition, Chelsea do not have many other qualities. Cole Palmer had a shot that forced Onana to save the game as it was about to end, but The Blues mostly did not create much of a significant threat.
And that comes against a team like Man United with a series of sad records. This is their 17th defeat in the Premier League in a season, the campaign will end with the fewest wins (currently 10) and the fewest points (currently 39).
For Mason Mount, this was an unwanted return to west London, when he was booed by Chelsea fans. Of course, all of Man United's attention is on the Europa League final against Tottenham in midweek. Meanwhile, Chelsea also have their own big match in Europe - the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis.
Jackson's red card to Newcastle means the striker will be absent for the two closing matches of the season. Although the 23-year-old has not dispelled any doubts, his 12 goals in all competitions have been a useful contribution. For Maresca, he has repeatedly pointed out that Jackson's ability to press from the front is unmatched in his squad.
With Christopher Nkunku struggling physically and once again sidelined, Maresca has decided to play Tyrique George (19 years old) for the first time in the Premier League.
It was a big decision by Maresca, based on the desire of the number 9 player to penetrate Man United's 5-man defense. However, George struggled to impact the game. The youngster only had six touches in the first half and a total of 14 times in 81 minutes on the pitch.
Maresca's other options - using Palmer or Pedro Neto in the centre of the attack - may not be ideal, but their experience will help Chelsea create a more comfortable game. However, Maresca still has a positive view of George's contribution.
" George is very good, very good and brave. He is a threat behind us. It's not easy for him because on the other side, Man United have Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw. Once again, we tried to find a solution with a player from the academy and overall, he worked quite well" - Maresca said.
Will George perform well enough to play against Nottingham if needed? "Certainly, 100%," Maresca added.
To be fair, the solution in position 9 is very difficult to find. Just look at Man United, the team had to endure another lackluster performance from Rasmus Hojlund, which is enough to understand the difficulties.
Regarding Hojlund, Amorim said: "I am very happy. Of course the whole team must improve. He needs to improve his connectivity, but he is improving so I am really happy with him. He just needs to continue working hard and better days will come."
Both clubs will look to strengthen their attack this summer, both with interest in Ipswich Town's Liam Delap. Any team that wins a place in the Champions League next season will bring an advantage in this race.
"I think that's where the club belongs, in the Champions League. Competing in the best tournaments. People like to disregard us and call us inexperienced. We played against a very experienced Man United team today. We were there and we won. We got what we needed to do," Reece James said.
Maresca admitted in midweek that Chelsea are looking for a way to play effectively without Jackson. They beat Man United, but the search continues.
