Senegal striker, Nicolas Jackson has been ruled out for “around six to eight weeks” with a hamstring injury, Chelsea coach, Enzo Maresca has confirmed.
The 23-year-old came off injured against West Ham two weeks ago and, although Maresca was initially hopeful the striker had avoided a major setback, scans have since revealed the problem to be worse than feared.
Jackson has scored nine goals so far this season, making him Chelsea’s second-top goalscorer behind Cole Palmer with 14.
It leaves the Blues without a recognised number nine after Spaniard Marc Guiu, who replaced Jackson at West Ham, picked up a serious groin injury in the same match.
“Nico [Jackson] will be out until the international break, probably available after the international break,” Maresca said.
“We knew it was a muscular problem, but not how important it was. His reaction was quite good, so we all thought it wasn’t a big injury.
“Unfortunately, he had the scan, and it is an important one – he will be out for around six to eight weeks,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jackson is also set to miss the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Burundi in March.