Chelsea have been hit with a significant injury blow after star striker Nicolas Jackson was ruled out until after the international break at the end of March.
Jackson took a scan on Wednesday which confirmed he has suffered damage to his hamstring and will be ruled out until April 2 when Chelsea will face Tottenham Hotspur
Head coach, Enzo Maresca will be without the Senegal international for the crucial matches in March with Marc Guiu also out through injury, Chelsea are confident the squad can cope without Jackson and Guiu
Maresca and Chelsea had believed that Jackson would not be ruled out too long with the injury he suffered in the victory over West Ham United after he initially reacted well to the problem.
But after a final scan on Wednesday, Chelsea confirmed their worst fears and Jackson now faces a significant time on the sidelines, as Chelsea look to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Jackson will miss Friday night’s trip to Brighton, as well as the journey to Aston Villa and games against Southampton, Leicester City and Arsenal. Chelsea will also missed the striker when playing a two-legged Europa Conference League last-16 tie in March.
Christopher Nkunku filled in as a striker in the FA Cup defeat to Brighton in Jackson’s absence last weekend and Maresca is now likely to choose between the Frenchman and Cole Palmer as a false nine.
Insight Media reported that last week Enzo Maresca last confirmed that 19-year-old Guiu will be out for some time with the injury he also suffered in the West Ham game.
Chelsea’s efforts to sign a new striker or left winger in the January transfer window was abortive, but eventually decided to pursue their top targets ahead of the summer transfer window.
Both Nkunku and Palmer have proved they can score plenty of goals, which is why Chelsea and Maresca are optimistic the team can cope with Jackson’s loss.
But the injury is still a significant blow with Chelsea in fourth in the Premier League table, having won two of their last eight League games.
