Chelsea coach justifies Nicolas Jackson's training omission

Photo Credit: Chelsea FC media.

Chelsea FC coach Enzo Maresca has justified Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson's exclusion from the English Premier League team's training squad this week.

The Italian boss confirmed the exclusion of the Teranga Lions player ahead of the must-win match against Espérance de Tunis on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Jackson was red-carded when Chelsea lost 3-1 to Brazilian side Flamengo on Saturday.

While it obvious that Jackson will not be involved in the Espérance game, his omission from just training with team mates came as a surprise. However, Enzo insisted that his focus was on players who are available for selection on Tuesday.

’Nico was not in the session this morning, as it’s the day before the game and we just used the ones who are available for the game," he told Chelsea media.

The Italian reflected on the forthcoming game at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, as the Blues seek to bounce from the weekend's defeat.

The defeat of Saturday left the Blues second in Group D going into the decisive match against Espérance. Therefore, the coach highlighted the importance of his players bouncing back against the North African opposition.