Nicholas Jackson injury plunges Chelsea in further crisis as Senegalese striker ruled out of action until April.
Nicholas Jackson will be out until April with a hamstring injury that sees the club face a dearth of options up front.
Enzo Maresca is without a traditional striker as Jackson had a scan on Wednesday. Maresca stated last week that Marc Guiu, who hobbled off during Chelsea’s victory over West Ham this month, was also anticipated to be sidelined for some time.
The former Villarreal player missed last weekend’s FA Cup loss to Brighton, and tests have shown that he won’t return until the match against Tottenham on April 2.
As a result, Maresca must decide whether to stick with Christopher Nkunku as a striker or use Cole Palmer as a false nine. Chelsea had hoped that Jackson would return quickly after pulling up during the first half against West Ham.
Maresca will hope that losing Jackson does not hurt his team’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League. The Senegal international has gone eight games without a goal but is valuable because of his pressing, pace, and link-up play.
Chelsea, who are in fourth place, will visit Brighton again in the league on Friday, and questions will be raised about why they did not bolster their attack last month. João Félix, the Portugal attacker, was allowed to join Milan on loan. Chelsea considered signing a striker or a left-winger, but ultimately decided to concentrate on players for the summer.