Maresca sends CLEAR Jackson message as striker faces Chelsea axe

Enzo Maresca sent a clear message to Nicolas Jackson in Chelsea‘s Club World Cup clash with Palmeiras.

The Senegal international was available to the Chelsea boss again after a two-game suspension following his second red card in only a matter of weeks, with Jackson also set to miss the opening fixture of the new Premier League season.

The 24-year-old is far from untouchable for Chelsea, and his recent bans have seen his future come under scrutiny. Despite his silly red cards, Jackson is a striker profile that appeals to many top clubs around Europe and, indeed, England.

As FootballTransfers has reported, both Arsenal and Man Utd have expressed a tentative interest in Jackson, who has been putting up elite underlying numbers at Chelsea, even though his actual finishing is sometimes still quite erratic.

There is clearly something to work with there, though, and clubs know it. Chelsea, of course, know it, too. Just a season after joining, his contract was extended until 2033 last year, but the Blues are now open to discussing business.

Jackson faces defining match

Despite his availability against Palmeiras, head coach Maresca opted to send a clear message to him by leaving him on the bench for the duration of the match.

New signing Liam Delap started the clash with the Brazilian giants, and he was surprisingly replaced by fellow newcomer Joao Pedro, who had only been a part of Chelsea’s squad for a matter of days.

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Pedro isn’t even match fit, yet he was chosen over Jackson in what is another clear sign that his Chelsea future is far from secure.

The Blues will face another Brazilian side, Fluminense, in the Club World Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Intriguingly, Delap is suspended for that game, so it could turn out to be a career-defining fixture for Jackson.

Should Pedro start over the 24-year-old, that will surely all but confirm that he is surplus to requirements as far as Maresca is concerned. Chelsea have spent €105 million on players in Jackson’s position this summer, and his future could be decided very soon.

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