Nicolas Jackson to Miss Chelsea’s Key Matches as AFCON Clash Disrupts Premier League

Chelsea Football Club is preparing to face a major challenge as their star striker, Nicolas Jackson, is set to miss several crucial Premier League matches due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Senegal. The tournament, which kicks off on December 21, 2025, and runs until January 18, 2026, will see Jackson potentially miss up to five league games for his club.

This is a big blow for Chelsea, especially since the period is known for its heavy schedule in English football.

According to the newly released Premier League fixture list, Jackson could be absent for matches against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, Bournemouth at home, Manchester City away, Fulham away, and Brentford at home.

The exact number of games he misses will depend on how far Senegal progresses in the competition. 

Senegal is a strong team and, as the 2021 champions, they are expected to go far in the tournament. If Senegal reaches the later stages, Jackson may not return until after all five matches.

Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, has spoken openly about the situation. He expressed confidence in his squad, especially after the recent signing of Liam Delap for £30 million.

Delap, a young and talented striker, has already made a positive impact. In his debut for Chelsea, Delap provided an assist in the FIFA Club World Cup win over Los Angeles FC. Maresca highlighted the importance of having multiple goal threats in the team.

He said, 

“Both are very good No.9s and hopefully both can score goals and get assists like today. I prefer to have four or five players who score ten or twelve goals each rather than one striker who scores 40 goals.”

Maresca also reflected on last season, when Chelsea had to cope without Jackson and Marc Guiu for several months.

He explained, “Last year we tried to use different threats, different weapons; we also had two or three months where we were without Nico and Marc [Guiu]. We tried to find different solutions but for sure, when you have two strikers like Nico and Liam, it’s a nice feeling as a head coach. You know you can choose one of them and it’s going to be a good choice.”

There is also talk of Chelsea adding another striker to their squad before the start of the season. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is a target, but the German club is demanding a hefty fee of €100 million (£85 million).

If the price is not reduced, Chelsea may have to look for other options. However, with Delap already showing promise and the possibility of another signing, Chelsea is better prepared than in previous seasons.

For Chelsea fans, Jackson’s absence will be a test of the team’s depth. But with new signings and a more balanced attack, the club is in a strong position to compete for titles.

The competition between Jackson and Delap is expected to bring out the best in both players, and Maresca is looking forward to having more firepower at his disposal.

while Nicolas Jackson’s involvement in AFCON will see him miss some of Chelsea’s most important matches of the season, the club is ready with new talent and a deeper squad to keep their Premier League ambitions alive. The Blues are determined to show that they can cope without their star striker and continue their push for silverware

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