'Stupid, stupid, stupid' – Jackson opens door for Delap

On the time Liam Delap made his archetypal commencement for Chelsea, Nicolas Jackson's effect was to get himself sent disconnected 4 minutes aft replacing his caller rival successful the striker department.

Jackson was dismissed connected his 24th day aft a late, studs-up situation connected Flamengo defender Lucas Ayrton astatine the extremity of a disastrous six-minute illness wherever goals from Bruno Henrique and Danilo cancelled retired Pedro Neto's aboriginal strike.

Wallace Yan rounded disconnected the scoring with a precocious extremity arsenic Flamengo bushed the Blues 3-1 successful the Club World Cup.

It was the slightest a assured Flamengo, led by erstwhile Chelsea defender Felipe Luis, deserved. But the scapegoat volition astir surely beryllium the Senegal planetary striker.

It was, aft all, his 2nd reddish paper successful 4 matches and helium is present suspended successful 2 competitions - the Premier League and Club World Cup.

It means Delap volition apt commencement the adjacent lucifer - an important clash against Tunisian broadside ES Tunis - and the opening crippled of the Premier League play astatine location to Crystal Palace.

Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca is anticipating a longer prohibition arsenic helium suspects Jackson's reddish paper for specified reckless foul could regularisation him retired of the competition.

When asked astir the sending off, helium said: "It happened against Newcastle and today. I americium not 100% definite it's a reddish paper compared to the Newcastle one.

"It's a small spot of a atrocious infinitesimal for Nico. The reddish paper has thing to bash with Nico's future... Nico knows successful some games it was not bully for the team."

Jackson apologised connected Instagram portion some defender Marc Cucurella and Maresca revealed the striker said atrocious successful idiosyncratic to his team-mates aft the match.

Jackson issued a connection connected societal media little than 2 hours aft the lucifer had finished.

It read: "I privation to accidental sorry. To the club, the staff, my team-mates, and each the fans watching, I fto you down.

"Another reddish card... and honestly, I'm truthful aggravated astatine myself. I enactment hard each time to assistance the squad not to enactment america successful this benignant of situation. I inactive don't afloat recognize however it happened.

"But 1 happening is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a shot infinitesimal that went the incorrect way.

"No excuses. I instrumentality afloat responsibility. I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll travel backmost stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes successful me. Sorry."

Chelsea manager Maresca said successful his post-match property league that the reddish paper has nary bearing connected Jackson's future.

"Six minutes changed the game," helium said. "In the 2nd half, we started amended compared to the archetypal half. But we conceded 2 goals successful 2 minutes and past the reddish card. It changed the dynamic. They deserved to win.

"Nico apologised. At Newcastle, we were conscionable 1-0 down and it was successful the archetypal half. Today, we were 2-1 down but with half-an-hour left. There was clip to play, but with 1 antheral down it became each the much difficult."

One of Jackson's long-time critics is erstwhile Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, who featured connected the TV broadcast of the crippled connected Dazn.

He said: "[It's an] unbelievable, stupid, anserine stupid mistake, I don't cognize what is going done his head. You travel into the crippled astatine 2-1 down and your squad needs you and helium does that.

"He did that astatine Newcastle, a precise important crippled we needed to triumph to get to the Champions League. You can't support making mistakes. I don't attraction what his vexation is, it is monolithic club, Chelsea Football Club.

"If you are annoyed that Delap is going to beryllium the contention with you, if you are a large subordinate you person to clasp it. We tin go palmy unneurotic arsenic a team.

"Maresca indispensable inquire bash I inactive spot this feline oregon bash I instrumentality with the subordinate I brought into the shot club, Delap? If helium doesn't spot him past it is clip for Delap to commencement the game.

"It is the contention helium is not embracing, helium wants to beryllium the lone feline successful the club. No, steadfast contention is important. If helium is not acceptable for it helium shouldn't beryllium astatine Chelsea Football Club."

Cucurella defended his team-mate, saying: "He's precise sad. He tried to triumph the ball, had the atrocious luck that helium kicked his limb and that's it. He's a young subordinate with a batch of prime but possibly needs to amended a small spot successful these things.

"But helium has to learn. After the manager spoke, helium said sorry, helium didn't bash it connected purpose. He's a precise important subordinate for us."

Maresca said during the Premier League play that Jackson needs enactment from different guardant and the Blues agreed a £30m interest with Ipswich for Delap conscionable 24 hours aft winning the Conference League.

Delap scored 12 goals successful 37 games for relegated Ipswich Town but besides scored 24 times successful Maresca's league-winning Manchester City Under-23 squad successful 2021, which besides featured some Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia.

Jackson started the 2-0 triumph implicit Los Angeles FC successful the opening Club World Cup lucifer and delivered an assist. But Delap besides acceptable up a extremity for Enzo Fernandez connected his debut - arsenic the brace conflict to impress.

Subsequently, Delap earned his archetypal commencement against Flamengo but had a quiescent crippled wherever helium received a yellowish card. Third striker enactment Marc Guiu came connected aft Jackson's dismissal.

Maresca antecedently said of the contention for places earlier his lucifer with LAFC: "I americium funny to spot however Nico reacts (to Delap). He competed with [Marc] Guiu who is precise young during the season. They are some bully No9s."