Chelsea striker suffers ‘serious’ injury on international duty

The ankle injury picked up by Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson on international duty has been confirmed to be ‘serious’ by the Senegalese FA.

The 22-year-old was in action for Senegal in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo last Thursday, limping out of the World Cup qualifier late in the game.

Jackson was not involved in the clash with Mauritania three days later and it now appears he will be out for a while.

A statement from the Senegalese FA read: ‘Nicolas Jackson injured his right ankle during the Senegal-DRC match on June 6, 2024. Radiology examinations (MRI) carried out on June 7 revealed a serious sprain of the ankle.

There has been no return date set for the forward, but new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be hoping that he is back in action as soon as possible and involved in pre-season training when players return to the club.

The Blues have a busy summer schedule of friendlies in July and August, including games against Wrexham, Celtic, Club America, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

How integral Jackson is to the new regime at Chelsea is yet to be seen, but he played a big role in the last season under Mauricio Pochettino.

The former Villarreal striker did not always receive glowing praise from pundits as he tried to settle into the Premier League, but he did finish the campaign with 14 goals in the top flight and 17 in all competitions from 44 appearances.

Jackson himself admitted that he spurned a lot of chances over his first season in the Premier League but will look to improve and score more next season.

‘I think I should have scored more with the chances I missed,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘It’s good, but not what I wanted to be when I came – to play Champions League next season. Everything happens for a reason and we try to fight next year.

‘Even if I scored 10 or 15, the most important thing is for the team to be as high as possible and make the fans happy. Then the goals will come.

‘Trying to improve every day. The most important [thing] is being available for the team, helping the team and playing. I miss a lot but I’m trying to create more chances and score more. Hopefully next year it’s going to be better.’

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