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As Chelsea's Club World Cup quarter-final against Portuguese giants Benfica looms, head coach Enzo Maresca has already had one selection dilemma decided for him. New £30 million ($41m) signing Liam Delap will almost certainly lead the line in North Carolina, after Nicolas Jackson effectively handed him the starting berth.The Senegal international collected a needless red card just four minutes after coming off the substitutes' bench against Flamengo, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/chelsea-player-ratings-vs-flamengo-nicolas-jackson-brazilian-side-robert-sanchez/blt90a4ac1dab79dc42" target="_blank">costing his side as they went on to suffer a damning 3-1 defeat</a>. In his absence, Delap would go on to coolly open his Blues account in their very next game.This latest indiscretion has raised serious questions over Jackson's future at the club, and the new arrival's fast start to life at Chelsea is only intensifying that scrutiny. Could this be the final straw?<script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

Chelsea new boy Liam Delap already proving it's time for Blues to cut their losses on hot-headed Nicolas Jackson after promising start at Club World Cup

Jackson's discipline - or lack thereof - <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gh/lists/dont-blame-nicolas-jackson-chelsea-ridiculous-squad-building-enzo-maresca-reluctant-babysitter/blt9d537f58ada0c043" target="_blank">has been a recurrent issue since the striker arrived from Villarreal two years ago</a>. While it seemed for a time like he had learned his lesson, he has taken two significant steps backwards of late.It took the Senegalese just six games of the 2023-24 Premier League season to accumulate five yellow cards and a subsequent ban, as he struggled to keep a lid on his temper, regularly picking up needless cautions for dissent and cynical fouls.Jackson collected just five more yellows in the remainder of the campaign, and was able to maintain that somewhat improved temperament in 2024-25, with his seven domestic yellows a bit more spaced out (although 18 in just two seasons still isn't great).

Recurring problem

However, the fiery centre-forward finished the season in the worst possible way, earning a straight red card in the first half of the crucial clash at Newcastle in the run-in after leading with his elbow in a challenge with Sven Botman.Chelsea battled admirably without him but fell to a 2-0 defeat that put their Champions League hopes in serious jeopardy, while Jackson was suspended for the remainder of the league season to dent their chances even further.Though the Blues ultimately got the job done without him, any hope that the striker would redeem himself at the Club World Cup was swiftly extinguished as he crashed into an ugly, studs-up challenge just four minutes after emerging from the bench against Flamengo in the west Londoners' second group game, and the referee brandished the red. Chelsea would go on to lose 3-1.

Seeing red

<a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/nicolas-jackson-ban-chelsea-striker-club-world-cup-games-fifa-increase-punishment-red-card-flamengo-loss/bltb2a985461eb97eff" target="_blank">To make matters worse, Jackson's ban was upgraded from one game to two</a> - meaning he could well miss the remainder of Chelsea's tournament unless they reach the semi-finals."It happened against Newcastle and today...It's a little bit of a bad moment for Nico," his manager Enzo Maresca said in the aftermath. "The red card has nothing to do with Nico's future... Nico knows in both games it was not good for the team."Nico apologised. At Newcastle, we were just 1-0 down and it was in the first half. Today, we were 2-1 down but with half-an-hour left. There was time to play, but with one man down it became all the more difficult."

'A bad moment'

<a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/nicolas-jackson-apology-second-costly-red-card-chelsea-club-world-cup-defeat-flamengo/bltc73061ff1d13f029" target="_blank">Jackson felt compelled to apologise publicly and at length after his latest misstep</a>, writing on Instagram that he was 'so angry at himself'. He wrote: "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."However, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-om/lists/club-world-cup-presenter-kelly-somers-apologise-live-on-air-chelsea-legend-nicolas-jackson-red-card-flamengo/blt01a840f386659dd9" target="_blank">one of the striker's most vocal critics, Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel, was having absolutely none of it</a>. "[It's an] unbelievable, stupid, stupid, stupid mistake, I don't know what is going through his head," he said. "You come into the game at 2-1 down and your team needs you and he does that."You can't keep making mistakes. I don't care what his frustration is, it is massive club, Chelsea Football Club. If you are annoyed that Delap is going to be the competition with you, if you are a big player you have to embrace it. We can become successful together as a team."Maresca must ask do I still trust this guy or do I stick with the player I brought into the football club, Delap? If he doesn't trust him then it is time for Delap to start the game."

'Stupid, stupid, stupid'

It doesn't help that Jackson was coming into this tournament scratching around for some form. After a flying start to 2024-25 where he scored nine goals in 15 Premier League appearances, his contributions bafflingly dried up around Christmas and he only netted once more all season in the league, although a hamstring injury didn't help.
By contrast, Delap bagged 12 league goals despite feeding off scraps in a doomed Ipswich side, only really slowing down when it was clear the Tractor Boys were headed for relegation and he would be moving on in the summer.
Jackson did somewhat make amends for his dismissal against Newcastle with a goal in the Conference League final, but this false start at the Club World Cup means he is at an immediate disadvantage with time already running out before pre-season gets underway.

Season of two halves

Delap has seized the opportunity presented to him by his fellow striker at the Club World Cup. Having already provided a measured assist for Enzo Fernandez on his debut, the young Englishman got on the scoresheet in Jackson's suspension-induced absence against ES Tunis.It was a fine goal, too, as Delap showed the kind of composure his counterpart has so often lacked, expertly controlling a lofted pass from Fernandez despite being barged in the back, spinning his man, stepping inside another defender and rolling a cool finish into the back of the net - albeit the 'keeper made no effort to save the shot despite it being within reach.Equally impressive, though, is Delap's ability to walk the disciplinary tightrope. <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/liam-delap-already-passed-chelsea-audition-blues-must-beat-man-utd-transfer-ipswich-striker/blt5868dfa8ca597bbe" target="_blank">Cut from the same cloth as Chelsea legend Diego Costa</a>, he throws his weight around but seems to know the precise boundaries of what he can get away with unpunished; despite picking up 13 yellows with Ipswich in 2024-25, he was never sent off.He did pick up a booking in a typically physical battle with the Flamengo defence but avoided another caution and subsequent ban against Tunis. "I tried not to get a yellow card because I would be suspended for the next game," he said afterwards. "I came to this club to play on big stages like this."

Contrasting fortunes

To make matters worse for Jackson, Maresca seems heavily invested in the striker whom he worked with at youth level at Manchester City, suggesting he will be the man to lead the line going forward despite his continued defence of the previous incumbent of the No.9 role."We know Liam is going to score goals for us, we don’t have any doubts about that," <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/enzo-maresca-excited-liam-delap-chelsea-striker-first-goal-30m-transfer-fifa-club-world-cup/bltfbcfd150928f421e" target="_blank">the Italian said after Delap opened his account</a>. "Against Flamengo he had three clear chances to score goals, so that is a good feeling because it means he is there, he is in the right position and doing well."We expect the process to be quite quick with Liam because we know him and he knows us in the way we want to play."

'Liam is going to score goals for us'

As such, there is the unshakeable sense that Jackson's days at Chelsea are numbered. No sooner had the striker trudged from the pitch after his red card against Flamengo than rumours emerged that <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-ke/lists/chelsea-nicolas-jackson-second-costly-recent-red-card-club-world-cup/blt2325e1d5be1325f2" target="_blank">the Blues were ready to cut their losses in the wake of this latest indiscretion</a>.Italian giants Juventus and Napoli, and the Blues' Premier League rivals Aston Villa - where the centre-forward would be reunited with Unai Emery - are among those to have been linked already, but whether there is any truth to that speculation remains to be seen, with other reports claiming he isn't for sale, yet at least.What's clear is that Jackson is now well and truly on the back foot, with his own discipline and Delap's form and clear potential making him nothing more than a second choice for the time being. Whether he can change that is pretty much down to him.

Final straw?

Chelsea new boy Liam Delap already proving it's time for Blues to cut their losses on hot-headed Nicolas Jackson after promising start at Club World Cup | Goal.com

New Chelsea signing Liam Delap has seized his opportunity at the Club World Cup with Nicolas Jackson suspended for yet another red card

Chelsea new boy Liam Delap already proving it&apos;s time for Blues to cut their losses on hot-headed Nicolas Jackson after promising start at Club World Cup