Jackson to miss West Ham match as Chelsea await possible transfer

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson will sit out Friday's Premier League trip to West Ham United despite being available pending a possible transfer, head coach Enzo Maresca said on Thursday.

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The 24-year-old Senegal international has been linked with Aston Villa, a move that would reunite the player with Unai Emery, his former manager at Spanish side Villarreal.

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

“We have two strikers, we have two players in that position and also we know that something can happen before the transfer window closes.”

Maresca said he was focused on preparations for the game at the London Stadium and did not know how close a move for Jackson might be. The Premier League transfer window closes on Sept. I.

The Italian said France forward Christopher Nkunku was in the same situation as Jackson while Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell were training apart “waiting for some solution”.

Media reports have linked Nkunku, 27, with a move to Bayern Munich and his previous club RB Leipzig. Both Nkunku and Jackson have fallen out of favour with Chelsea signing Joao Pedro and Liam Delap earlier in the summer window.

Chelsea are looking for an internal replacement for defender Levi Colwill, who could miss most of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.