Many Chelsea supporters were already asking the same question during the match, about whether it was too late to cancel Jackson’s loan move to Germany.
Tyrique George, a 19-year-old winger from the academy, replaced Delap at Stamford Bridge and gave a creditable display while out of position, but he too could leave Chelsea before deadline day.
On George, Maresca said: “Today we played more than one hour with Tyrique [George], and he did brilliant.”
It was ironic that Chelsea’s only fit striker, Joao Pedro, was himself filling in for star attacker Cole Palmer in his favoured number 10 position.
When George was picked, Maresca looked short of options with winger Jamie Gittens – signed from Dortmund for £48.5m over the summer – the only other attacker on his bench.
It is a remarkable situation given Chelsea have more than £300m worth of attackers in their squad.
However, Chelsea had decided against carrying three senior strikers because of Jackson’s desire not to be an emergency back-up, and with Nkunku having been unhappy at the club for more than six months.
Pedro Neto showed last season that he is capable of filling in on an emergency basis, with Palmer and George both having played as up-front in the past. Academy striker Shim Mheuka, 17, is also top scorer in the under-21s league with four goals in three matches.
Meanwhile, winger Alejandro Garnacho was sat in the directors’ box on Saturday before completing a £40m move from Manchester United. Chelsea are also closing in on a move for Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte, who is capable of playing as a 10 or on the right wing.
Chelsea would have eight attacking players for four roles on the pitch after the two Argentine attackers arrive, with a well-stocked academy in behind them.
However, they must be suitably worried about Delap to have taken a shock decision to pull the plug on Jackson’s move, at least for now, and bring him back to Stamford Bridge.
