Senegalese and Chelsea forward, Nicolas Jackson has been handed a two-match suspension by FIFA following his red card during the Blues’ 3-1 loss to Flamengo at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Jackson was shown a straight red card shortly after coming off the bench in the second half of the match, which was played in Philadelphia. Chelsea had taken a 1-0 lead into halftime but conceded twice before Jackson’s dismissal in the 66th minute for a reckless challenge. Flamengo added a third goal to seal the win, knocking the Premier League side out of the competition.
FIFA confirmed the suspension on Tuesday, stating that the decision is final and cannot be appealed.
As a result, Jackson will miss Chelsea’s clash against ES Tunis on Tuesday night, and, if Chelsea advance, he will also sit out Saturday’s potential last-16 tie against either Bayern Munich or Benfica in Charlotte.
The 23-year-old’s absence is a blow for Chelsea’s attack, as manager Enzo Maresca looks to rally his squad following their early tournament setback.
