Nicolas Jackson has been officially selected for Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations squad, not that that was ever really in doubt.
The striker has led the line all season for Chelsea, and while some are frustrated by him, there’s no denying he’s a great option to have – it’s him or Armando Broja, basically.
So missing him for a month is not ideal. He will play tomorrow night and then could potentially miss a load of games until mid February, should Senegal reach the final.
Chelsea vs Luton will be the last match we have Nicolas Jackson for likely over a month.
He could miss all these matches due to AFCON.
Saturday 6th – FA Cup – Preston (H)
Tuesday 9th – Carabao Cup – (A) Middlesbrough
Saturday 13th – PL – Fulham (H)
Tuesday 23rd – Carabao…
— CarefreeYouth (@CarefreeYouth) December 28, 2023
There are 8 games he could miss, including both legs of the Carabao Cup semi final and the 3rd and fourth rounds of the FA Cup. All in all, it’s not the worst run of games to miss. Those cup games are winnable without him, as are the league games against Fulham, Wolves and Palace. The Liverpool match at the end of January is the only headline league fixture we will miss him for.
Christopher Nkunku’s return to fitness couldn’t have come at a better time, and we have to hope he creates a nice understanding with Broja during this period.
