Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off in his side’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle United over the weekend.
Jackson was initially handed a yellow card for an elbow on Sven Botman, but after having a look at the incident again on the monitor, referee John Brooks decided to upgrade his caution to a red card.
Ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg analysed Jackson’s foul for The Chelsea Chronicle and deemed the decision to send the 23-year-old off as the right one.
Jackson will now miss Chelsea‘s final two top-flight fixtures of the season against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson feared Newcastle defenders would try to bully him
Newcastle are a very strong and physical team, possessing the likes of Botman and Dan Burn, while St James’ Park can be quite a den at times. And it looks like that played on Jackson’s mind heading into the game.
According to journalist Rahman Osman, Jackson wanted to fight for Chelsea and not get bullied by Newcastle’s defence.
It explains why the Senegal international went in so aggressively on Botman. But it was simply too aggressive and ended up costing his team.
Enzo Maresca gave Jackson the cold shoulder as he headed down the tunnel, showing just how angry the Italian was with his player.
The former Villarreal man could find himself fighting for his starting spot next season. Chelsea like five strikers going into the summer transfer window, The Chelsea Chronicle has been told.
How Chelsea could line up in Nicolas Jackson’s absence
Maresca will be forced to make a change for the United game following Jackson’s suspension.
Youngster Tyrique George is one option to come in. While the 19-year-old is a winger, he has played up front for Chelsea this term.
George started as a striker against Djurgarden last week and was excellent. He also played there in the 2-1 win versus Fulham last month and managed to grab himself a goal.
Pedro Neto is another wide man who has led the line for Chelsea in the current campaign, while Christopher Nkunku is another option if he returns from his injury in time.
