It is very difficult to defend Nicolas Jackson, but that did not stop Enzo Maresca trying.
Deep in the bowels of Lincoln Financial Field, in the repurposed locker room of the Philadelphia Eagles, Maresca picked the most surprising answer possible when invited to talk about Jackson’s latest moment of self-destructive madness: a studs-up tackle to the ankle of Flamengo defender Ayrton Lucas near the touchline that drew an immediate red card from referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros, prompted no visible protests from any of the Chelsea players or staff close enough to have a perfect view, and condemned his team to a 3-1 defeat in their second FIFA Club World Cup match.
Nicolas Jackson, who was sent off in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle United in May, has seen red again.
The Senegalese forward is dismissed just four minutes after coming off the bench after a hideous challenge.#FIFACWC
🎥 @DAZNFootballpic.twitter.com/WbCNNa6ycu
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 20, 2025
“I’m not sure that it’s 100 per cent a red card but the referee decided for that,” Maresca said.
His stony reaction to the red card in the moment did not betray any sense of injustice. Nor did the response of Jackson, who immediately hung his head and put his hands on his knees. The Senegal international had been on the pitch for all of four minutes, having been benched on his 24th birthday for Liam Delap, the £30million signing acquired to compete for his spot. Could it have been a release of pent-up frustration?
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Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, teammate Marc Cucurella revealed that Jackson had given a different explanation when apologising to his teammates in the dressing room after the match. “He’s very sad,” he said of Jackson. “He tried to win the ball, had the bad luck that he kicked his leg and that’s it.
“He’s a young player with a lot of quality but maybe needs to improve a little bit in these things. He has to learn. After the manager spoke he said sorry, he didn’t do it on purpose. He’s a very important player for us, we will miss him in the next game but this is football.”
Jackson then further undercut the notion that his red card might not have been merited by issuing a lengthy, emotional apology statement on Instagram. “I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card… and honestly, I’m so angry at myself.
“I work hard every day to help the team, not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don’t fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn’t intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility.
“I’ll reflect, I’ll grow, and I’ll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry.”
Jackson said sorry but does not fully understand how the challenge happened (Photo: Carl Recine – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The sincerity of Jackson’s sorrow is easy to believe in. It was written all over his face as he left the field, and his statement does not read like a generic, cynical PR communique. But none of that lessens the damage his error has caused — to Chelsea’s hopes of fighting back against Flamengo, to their broader aspirations in this tournament, and most significant of all, to his future prospects at the club.
Context matters. Jackson’s three-match ban for elbowing Newcastle defender Sven Botman in the head in the first half of a vital Premier League match on May 11 is not even complete; he will miss the opening game of next season against Crystal Palace. His personal Club World Cup may also be over if FIFA review his red card tackle against Flamengo and decide it merits more than the standard one-game ban.
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Jackson is keenly aware of the criticism he has received during his two-year stint as Chelsea’s first-choice striker. He has publicly acknowledged some of it, telling Mikel Jon Obi to “shut your mouth” and “don’t talk s***” last August in response to the retired midfielder’s repeated assertions that Maresca’s team needed a better No 9.
Mikel will not be shutting up anytime soon. To compound Jackson’s misery, the Chelsea legend was commentating on the match for DAZN and reacted to the tackle with a rant that compelled presenter Kelly Somers to apologise for his language.
“Unbelievable. Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake,” he said. ”I don’t know what was going through his head. Your team needs you and he does that! He did that at Newcastle in an important game. He got a red card. And now he’s done this again. You can’t keep making mistakes like this.
“I don’t care what his frustration is. This is a massive football club and it’s about competition (in the squad). If you’re angry or p****d off, then you have to embrace it. We need competition.”
That competition has been hurt by events against Flamengo, unless Marc Guiu is ready to take a developmental leap. Jackson has effectively handed Delap a golden opportunity to establish himself as the new fixture at the point of Chelsea’s attack with a sustained run of minutes, both in what remains of this Club World Cup and the start of the Premier League season.
Chelsea’s interest in signing a right-footed left winger and an all-round attacker this summer is documented in The Athletic’s most recent edition of the Transfer DealSheet. By the time Jackson is available again his path to playing time may be more perilous; it was notable that Maresca sounded unconvinced by the notion of Jackson and Delap existing in the same team, despite the Senegal international’s past as a left winger at Villarreal.
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Jackson has plenty of backers in football. Mauricio Pochettino frequently gushed about his potential in his brief stint at Chelsea, and Flamengo manager Filipe Luis was similarly effusive in his press conference. “He’s so good, he’s young, he has all the potential, all the quality that the club needs,” he said. “For sure he will surpass this little mistake.
“It was clear. I saw it in front of me, and for me it was a red. But it’s just a small detail for a big player who can be one of the biggest strikers in the world.”
To realise that outcome, Jackson must first find a way to master whatever impulse leads him to these moments. The most concerning part of his apology statement was the admission that he still does not fully understand how the Flamengo red card happened. Even taking his insistence that he had no bad intent at face value (despite the damning nature of the footage), a problem cannot be addressed if it is not understood.
Jackson’s career at Chelsea could depend on the success of the self-reflection that lies ahead. He will have plenty of time to do it.
(Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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