Despite an injury to their marquee striker signing from this summer, Enzo Maresca has decided not to hand a single minute to one option so far this season.
The Blues made the decision to recall Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland following a hamstring issue suffered by Liam Delap.
Delap is set to miss a total of 10 weeks after choosing not to undergo surgery, however his absence has left the Blues short up front.
Nicolas Jackson’s exit has left Joao Pedro as the only other real option at Stamford Bridge, however he seems to put in his best performances in a slightly deeper role.
The Champions League game against Benfica saw the Brazilian start on the bench as Pedro was struggling with an injury, however it was Tyrique George who was handed a start instead of Guiu.
Why Marc Guiu might not be playing for Chelsea right now
The Spaniard didn’t even come off the bench, however a little-known rule could actually be behind Chelsea’s decision not to feature him so far.
While his time at Sunderland was very brief, he did feature in both the Premier League and EFL Cup for the newly-promoted side, and an appearance for Chelsea would see him feature for his second side already this season.
As per FIFA’s rules, a player can only make appearances for two clubs in a season, and if Guiu features for Chelsea he will not be able to play anywhere else in the 2025/26 campaign.
Given Chelsea’s recent transfer activity, they could be looking at a January exit for Guiu, with one club in particular looking a very obvious landing spot.
Chelsea may have January plan for Guiu
Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Emanuel Emegha, with it originally being thought that he would join at the end of the season.
However, Emegha is facing a hostile situation at Strasbourg right now, and it may be better for all parties if he makes the move earlier.
Guiu showed in the Conference League striker that he is more than good enough to contribute at that level, with that the competition the Ligue 1 side are competing in this season.
Whether it is a permanent or temporary deal, it could explain why there has been no minutes so far at Stamford Bridge for the Spaniard this season.
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