Nicolas Jackson pre-season concerns emerge as he spreads Chelsea love in Senegal

Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson has suffered an injury while on international duty with Senegal.

Jackson, who scored 17 goals in 44 appearances in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge after arriving for £35million from Villarreal last summer, had been called up for two World Cup qualifiers earlier this month. The 22-year-old started the first of two matches - a 1-1 draw against DR Congo - but was substituted late on. It was later revealed that he had suffered a nasty injury to his ankle.

Following an MRI scan, Jackson did not feature in the second game, which ended in a 1-0 victory over Mauritania. According to The Telegraph, Jackson flew back to London before returning home to Senegal for a summer break, having played more than 50 times for club and country in 2023/24.

READ MORE: Michael Olise's Chelsea exit explained as club open talks with Crystal Palace over £60m transfer

READ MORE: Olise joins, Duran signs, Gallagher decision made - Chelsea to-do list with transfer window open

However, he went back to his home nation with an injury, which is reported to be assessed again later in the summer. The severity is unknown at this stage. As well as this, Jackson delivered more than 20 boxes of clothes and boots from his first season at Chelsea to local kids in Ziguinchor in Senegal.

When he comes back to Chelsea for pre-season, he will have to impress new manager Enzo Maresca. The Italian was appointed as successor to Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked last month despite leading the Blues to five successive Premier League victories to end the season in sixth, a six-place improvement on the previous campaign.

But Maresca, who guided Leicester back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, has been tasked with improving their fortunes. Speaking after being appointed on June 3, Maresca said: "To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach. It is why I am so excited by this opportunity.

"I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club’s tradition of success and makes our fans proud."