Seyi Olofinjana, Chelsea's African talent manager, has explained why Blues boss Enzo Maresca prefers to play Nicolas Jackson over Christopher Nkunku up front, despite the Senegalese striker's poor run of form.
Jackson enjoyed a blistering start to the 2024/25 season, netting nine goals in his first 15 Premier League games, but is now without a goal in eight matches, with his last strike coming against Bournemouth in December.
Despite his goal drought, Maresca has persisted with the 23-year-old as his first-choice striker in the top flight ahead of Nkunku, who has scored 13 goals in all competitions.
Speaking on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football, Olofinjana, who was appointed by Chelsea last year, offered insight into the reasoning behind the decision.
“Maresca gets more from Jackson than Nkunku," said the former Nigeria and Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, according to PUNCH Sports Extra. "Nkunku might look a little bit better, but will he hold up the ball the way Jackson does? Then Jackson’s work rate as well which is unbelievable."
Asked if Chelsea were looking to upgrade Jackson, Olafinjana said: “Why would that be the case?"
"I think there is an expectation here in terms of what Jackson should and shouldn’t be doing," he explained. "To the football club and Maresca’s crew, everybody expects him to score 25 goals, but if he scores 10 and allows other players to chip in, then I’m happy. Expectations from the outside may be different from within."
He added: "Five years ago, he was playing in Africa and came to Chelsea from Spain. So, for Jackson to be doing what he is doing right now, I think the expectations we have of him are a little bit higher. He’s going to be a fantastic player."
Maresca himself recently asserted the importance of Jackson to his Chelsea team.
After being forced to leave the striker out of his side's recent 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup due to a hamstring injury, the Italian coach said, according to The Mirror: “Sometimes I think you need to play some games without players to realise how important they are."
“Off the ball, his pressing is always very good and on the ball he is a threat always," he said.
Sadly for Maresca, he will now have to make do without Jackson until the end of March, with the former Villarreal man's injury, which he sustained in the Blues' recent 2-1 in over West Ham United, set to sideline him for six weeks.
With young Marc Guiu also out injured, perhaps Maresca will now be regretting his decision to not sign a new striker in the January transfer window.
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