LONDON — Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is expected to be sidelined for a period of up to two months due to a hamstring injury, as revealed by manager Enzo Maresca on Thursday.

Maresca also indicated that Marc Guiu, who could have been a candidate to step in for Jackson, is currently dealing with his own hamstring issue and will be unavailable for an extended period. This situation leaves Christopher Nkunku as the most viable option to take on the striker role for Chelsea in the upcoming weeks.

Jackson sustained his injury after being substituted during the early moments of the second half in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory against West Ham on February 3. Maresca commented on the nature of the injury, stating, “We were aware it was a muscular issue, but we were uncertain of its severity at first because Jackson’s initial reactions were positive.” He added, “We initially believed it wasn’t a significant injury, but following a recent scan, we discovered it is more serious than anticipated, with an estimated recovery time of six to eight weeks.”