Maresca: Jackson not involved for West Ham clash amid Villa links

Nicolas Jackson is “available, but he is not going to be part of the squad” for Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League clash against West Ham United, Enzo Maresca revealed.

Jackson has been subject to transfer speculation this summer despite only arriving at Stamford Bridge from Villarreal in 2023 for a reported £32m (€36.9m) fee.

The 24-year-old was not involved in Chelsea’s goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the first game of their 2025-26 campaign due to a red card suspension.

Jackson’s future has been thrown into question after the Blues completed big-money deals for Joao Pedro and Liam Delap from Brighton and Ipswich Town, respectively.

It has been reported that Aston Villa are lining up a move for the striker, while Newcastle United have had an ongoing interest given the uncertainty around Alexander Isak.

And despite being fit to play, Maresca confirmed that Jackson would not be part of the travelling Chelsea party for their short trip to the London Stadium on Friday.

“He is available, but he is not going to be part of the squad,” Maresca told reporters.

“As we already said, we have two strikers. And also we know that something can happen before the transfer window closes.”

Asked whether Jackson is close to a move away, Maresca added: “No idea. You know, from last season I prefer to focus on training sessions. I don’t know.”

Since Jackson’s arrival at Chelsea, only Cole Palmer (71) has registered more goal involvements than the Senegal international (42).

But another player who appears destined for the exit door before the September 1 deadline is fellow forward Christopher Nkunku.

Nkunku has recently held talks with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich over a loan deal, though Chelsea are believed to be pushing for a permanent move.

“Christopher is with us, like Nico, but it’s the same answer as Nico. The other two players [Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson] are training apart,” Maresca added.

“No idea. We have still two weeks. No idea because it is difficult to plan because anything can happen.”

The potential exit of both Jackson and Nkunku will allow Chelsea to explore deals with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.