Senegal is the favorite to win the Africa Cup of Nations on February 11. If they make it to the final, Chelsea might not have Nicolas Jackson for more than a month. A lot of people have said bad things about the 22-year-old scorer this season, but he still has eight goals, which is pretty good.

Jackson has been wasteful in front of goal at times, but his return is really amazing for someone so young and inexperienced. He will be leaving for Africa this week, though, to join up with his Senegal teammates. That means the game against Luton Town was the last time we saw the scorer in a Chelsea shirt for a while.

Jackson didn’t have his best game for the Blues, but the Senegal international still showed how good he is in the exciting win at Kenilworth Road. Jackson found some space by doing a great turn that spun his defender around 180 degrees. He then played a perfect through ball to Cole Palmer, who went around the goalie and scored his second goal of the game in Bedfordshire.

Based on what football.london knows, Chelsea wants to sign a striker this month. However, the club won’t rush into the deal if they don’t think the right player is out there. No matter what, Mauricio Pochettino showed in the win over Luton that he already has someone in the team ready to take Jackson’s place.

That’s Christopher Nkunku. The 26-year-old came on in the second half at Kenilworth Road and played as Chelsea’s only No. 9 through the middle. Jackson played on the left side that day. This season, Nkunku has played 152 minutes across all events since coming back from injury last month. He has only started one game.

There has been some discussion and thought about what Nkunku’s long-term role will be for Chelsea. In the long run, we’ll have a better idea, but for now, Pochettino is very happy with how versatile he is as he learns more about the bright France international.

“At the moment he is coming back from injury his best position is more like a 10 or a nine, more than the left or right side like a winger,” Pochettino stated last month. “This is the best way to handle the demands of the Premier League and what the team needs.”

“He is beginning to understand that teams in the Premier League are very rough and that the style of football is very different from football in other countries.” He needs more time, so give it to him. He will get used to it over time, but scores will help him get used to it faster.

Chelsea could also choose Armando Broja, but the 22-year-old striker has only scored one goal in 14 games for the club this season across all categories. Broja just got back from a major knee injury that kept him out for a few months. He is still working to get back to his best shape and condition.