Chelsea have been handed a massive blow in their bid to finish in the top four after losing Nicolas Jackson to injury.
Nicolas Jackson had to be taken off in Chelsea‘s 2-1 win against West Ham United earlier this month, but his injury did not look too serious at the time.
However, Jackson is now expected to be out until April in a huge blow to Enzo Maresca.
The 23-year-old has been Chelsea’s first-choice striker this season, missing just one of their Premier League games so far.
Chelsea’s Premier League win percentage without Nicolas Jackson
Since arriving at Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023, Jackson has only failed to appear in four top-flight fixtures.
The sample size is very small, but the Blues’ win percentage without Jackson is an impressive 75%.
With him in the side as either a starter or substitute, that number drops to an underwhelming 46.5%.
But again, Chelsea have not played too many Premier League games without Jackson since signing him, so you cannot draw too many conclusions from the above.
| Chelsea’s Premier League record with and without Nicolas Jackson | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win percentage |
| With Nicolas Jackson | 58 | 27 | 16 | 15 | 46.5% |
| Without Nicolas Jackson | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75% |
Before news of his injury, former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy said he wanted to see Jackson use his body more during matches.
Christopher Nkunku has huge opportunity
With Jackson set for a spell on the sidelines, Christopher Nkunku now has a chance to show Maresca what he can really do and prove himself to Chelsea supporters.
The 27-year-old has only made three starts in the Premier League this season, but that should be about to change following his teammate’s injury.
Interestingly, in two of the four games that Jackson has missed — a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool and 5-1 win against Southampton — Nkunku has managed to score. It shows that the Frenchman can make an impact and that Chelsea fans do not need to hit the panic button just yet.
If things do not go to plan, though, then you would expect Nkunku to leave in the summer.
Bayern Munich are determined to sign Nkunku in the next transfer window, and with the France international currently a fringe player under Maresca, he is unlikely to turn down a move to such a huge football club if his status in the Chelsea squad remains the same.
