Chelsea Striker Nicolas Jackson Sidelined Until April Due to Hamstring Injury
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has announced that striker Nicolas Jackson is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks due to a hamstring injury. The forward was substituted early in the second half during Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over West Ham in early February.
Maresca confirmed on Thursday that Jackson will be unavailable until after the upcoming international break in March. Additionally, fellow striker Marc Guiu is also sidelined with a similar hamstring problem.
On a more positive note, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile are close to returning to full fitness. Wesley Fofana has rejoined team training but will require 2-3 weeks before being available for selection.
Maresca dismissed rumors of a setback for Reece James, stating that the full-back will be available for selection despite missing Chelsea’s recent FA Cup defeat to Brighton.
Maresca: We Will Find a Solution
Despite the attacking injury crisis, Maresca remains confident in finding solutions within the current squad. Christopher Nkunku played as a striker in the FA Cup loss to Brighton, but Maresca emphasized that Nkunku is not a traditional number 9.
“Christopher could be one option, but not the only solution,” Maresca explained. “We’ve always viewed him as an attacking midfielder rather than a proper striker. We’ll explore different options to address our current situation.”
Maresca mentioned the possibility of using wide players like Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, or even Tyrique George as false nines. He also noted that Jadon Sancho could offer a different skill set in attack.
“When you don’t have a traditional striker, you need to adjust your playing style,” Maresca added. “We may need to be more direct and focus on link-up play since we lack a threat in behind. But we will find a solution.”
Potential Fixtures Jackson Could Miss
Jackson is likely to be unavailable for several upcoming matches, including:
- Brighton (Away) – Premier League, February 14
- Aston Villa (Away) – Premier League, February 22
- Southampton (Home) – Premier League, February 25
- UEFA Conference League Round of 16 (Away) – March 6
- Leicester (Home) – Premier League, March 9
- UEFA Conference League Round of 16 (Home) – March 13
- Arsenal (Away) – Premier League, March 16
Chelsea will need to navigate this challenging period without their key striker as they aim to maintain their push for European qualification in the Premier League.
