Deploy checkbox is disabled for the .NET MAUI project in Visual Studio 17.14.9

I have upgraded Visual Studio to version 17.14.9. I then upgraded my .NET MAUI project from NET7 to NET9, but now when I try to run the project, I get this message: “The project needs to be deployed before we can debug. Please enable Deploy in the Configuration Manager”. However, in Configuration Manager, the Deploy checkbox is disabled for the .NET MAUI project.

A. Should I go down to NET8 rather? If so, I can’t seem to find the .NET 8 SDK for Visual Studio 17.14.9.

B. Should I uninstall Visual Studio 17.14.9 and install an earlier version? If so, which version supports NET9, and where can I get the installer?

C. Should I rollback to my previous version of Visual Studio (17.9.x) and go back to NET7?

Any help would be appreciated.