Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has warned Nicolas Jackson that his red card at Newcastle United has to serve as a big learning curve for the striker.
The blues were 1-0 down and struggled to gain a foothold in an extremely significant competition in St. James’ Park when Jackson fell a forearm into the face of Sven Botman. Referee John Brooks initially showed the Senegalese international a yellow card, but was instructed by the Var to advise himself with the monitor, and finally decided to send Jackson.
Jackson’s bad discipline drew considerable criticism from fans and experts, and Maresca, who did not recognize the striker when he stuck the tunnel, warned that changes would soon have to be made.
“Undoubtedly Nico has to learn 100%,” said Maresca after the game. “He is now suspended for the rest of the season and has to learn for the future.”
Jackson, who received a straight red card for the first time since March 2022, will miss Chelsea’s last games of the Premier League season to achieve a top 5 finish and play in the Champions League of the next season. The defeat on Sunday could have turned out to be expensive, but Nottingham Forests subsequent 2-2 draw with Leicester meant that the blues ended the weekend on the fifth end.
“This season is ready for him and he is our no. 9, our striker. We have to find a different solution for the last two games. We have to avoid this type of thing because we all need our squad,” added Maresca, who was also without Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu.
Chelsea was probably better off with ten men than 11 on Tyneside, but the Italian insisted that Jackson’s release was influential to decide the result. Bruno Guimaraes sealed the nervous victory of Newcastle with a distracted strike from the distance, the late drant.
“The red card certainly influenced the game,” he said. “It is already complicated against this team in this stadium and if you give you an additional player, it is difficult, but overall I think, especially in the second half we have created great chances, even with ten players if it is not easy.
“If the referee decides a red card, it is a red card, but in different decisions in this stadium it is sometimes the noise [which] Decide whether it is a foul or not. “
With Aston Villa, the blues are on points on the fifth and one point in front of the seventh forest. The last day in the town square will undoubtedly prove to be crucial for a hot competition race for the Champions League football.