Chelsea Suffers Injury Blow As Nicolas Jackson Faces Spell On Sidelines

Nicolas Jackson is set to miss more than a month of action with Chelsea dealt a significant injury blow.

The Senegalese striker has been Enzo Maresca’s preferred forward throughout the season, but he is set to be sidelined for a period due to a muscular injury.

The 23-year-old has scored nine times in the Premier League this season but is not due back until after the international break in late March, with the earliest return perhaps the London derby against Tottenham on 2 April.

Jackson suffered the injury against West Ham earlier this month with neither the player nor his club initially believing it to be serious.

But further scans have revealed the extent of the issue, with Maresca confirming a possible return timeline ahead of Friday night’s trip to Brighton.

“Nico will be out until the international break, probably available after the international break,” the Chelsea manager confirmed. “We knew it was a muscular problem but not how important it was.

“His reaction was good so we didn’t think it was a big injury. Unfortunately, he had the scan, and it is an important one – he will be out for six to eight weeks.”

Chelsea’s league performance has faltered recently; however, the team currently holds the fourth position in the league table, with the opportunity to narrow the gap to just one point behind Nottingham Forest. A misstep against Brighton could allow Manchester City, Newcastle, and Bournemouth to overtake them in the standings.

Maresca played down fears surrounding club captain Reece James after the right-back wasn’t seen in training this week, with the manager confirming that a precautionary rest was always planned.

“Reece is okay,” he said.

“Against Brighton in the cup, it was planned to give him a rest. He had some rest in the last days but he is available.”