Nicolas Jackson to be available for Brighton Carabao Cup clash as Chelsea look to exploit lesser-known loophole
Striker Nicolas Jackson will be available for Chelsea during their Carabao Cup third-round clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on September 27 despite already picking up five yellow cards.
The Stamford Bridge club signed Jackson from Villarreal for a fee of £30 million in the summer. The Senegalese has so far scored only one goal in seven appearances across competitions, which came during the 3-0 Premier League win against Luton Town on August 25.
Jackson has already picked up five yellow cards, the latest of which came during the 1-0 Premier League home loss against Aston Villa on September 24. The Blues' fans, though, have good news as Jackson will be available against Brighton. The reason for this is that the five-yellow card suspension rule doesn't carry over to the Carabao Cup.
With Christopher Nkunku injured, Chelsea have only Jackson as an available option to become the focal point in the team's attack.
The London-based side have scored only seven goals across competitions this season. Hence, goalscoring has once again turned out to be a major problem for Chelsea this season after they suffered from the same last term. They scored only 38 goals in 38 Premier League games.
Having Jackson available against Brighton should prove to be a big boost for Mauricio Pochettino. However, while the striker is available, the Blues will miss Malo Gusto against Brighton after the defender picked up a red card against Aston Villa.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino sent a message to Nicolas Jackson after the Aston Villa defeat
Nicolas Jackson impressed during his time with La Liga side Villarreal. The Senegalese, however, has yet to make a proper impact since his summer move to Chelsea.
He has missed a few clear-cut chances in front of the goal. Jackson's yellow card against Aston Villa also meant that he will miss their trip to Fulham on October 2.
After the home loss against the Villans, manager Mauricio Pochettino told the media (via GOAL):
“We need to grow up like a team. A player like Nico is so young and is feeling the Premier League and is learning. He made the mistake. We feel disappointed because we are paying for too many situations like this."
Chelsea have a team full of young and talented players. While they have potential, most of the players are yet to fulfill their promise on the pitch. Pochettino will hope to turn the situation around quickly to avoid yet another calamitous campaign like last season.