Chelsea have welcomed three key players back into training ahead of their return to Premier League football against rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Back in December when Chelsea were only two points off the top of the table, it would have been nearly impossible to imagine conversations about them fighting to hang on to a Champions League position.
These players’ returns, two of which were long-term, will help the Blues steady the ship after an inconsistent couple of months.
Cole Palmer missed Chelsea’s last match which they lost 1-0 at the Emirates to Arsenal due to muscle fatigue, but the Englishman is now back in training for Chelsea.
The returns of Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke are sure to excite the Chelsea fanbase as they look to fight off the likes of Newcastle, Brighton and Fulham to protect their Champions League Position.
How have their seasons been so far:
Cole Palmer picked up where he left off at the start of the season with some of his best performances in the opening few months coming in a 6-2 demolition of Wolves, and a 4-2 win against Brighton where Palmer scored all four of the goals.
But inevitably this would not last forever as his form has taken a slight dip in recent months with his last goal involvement coming in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in January.
Despite this, Palmer still has 14 goals for the Blues in all competitions this season, as well as six assists in 33 appearances.
Nicolas Jackson much like the rest of his team, got off to a fine start to the season with his standout performance coming in a 3-0 away win against West Ham United.
The Senegalese striker has made 24 appearances in all competitions so far this season scoring on nine occasions and assisting on a further five.
Similar to Palmer, Jackson’s numbers began to slow in the new year prior to his injury in the 2-1 win at home against West Ham where he has since missed nine games.
Noni Madueke is the best example Chelsea have of a direct winger, with the England international picking up eight goals and four assists in 28 appearances in all competitions this season.
The standout game for the winger this season came in the 6-2 win against Wolves in August, where Madueke scored his first senior hat-trick.
How Important is this for Chelsea?:
Despite Jackson not matching the numbers produced by the likes of Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland, it is clear from the Blues’ recent perfomances, that he is a vital part of Chelsea’s attack.
Jackson’s work rate is one of the reasons why he is so highly valued by Chelsea fans, with the striker constantly looking to run in behind the defence as well as dragging defenders out of their positions when he is off the ball.
The return of Nicolas Jackson will add some much-needed character to a Chelsea attack that has been found out recently and does not threaten its opposition near to how much it did earlier this season.
With the Blues now having an out-and-out striker available again, it does mean that they can move Pedro Neto, who has been a temporary solution to the number nine issue, back to his favoured position on the wing.
Another feature that there has been a distinct lack of in recent Chelsea matches is the directness of attacks.
There have been little to no occasions where a winger has chosen to run at the defender in front of them, but Noni Madueke will be the solution to this.
The winger will bring more intent to Chelsea’s attacks and will ultimately create more threatening moves as the London outfit look to turn around their poor form in front of goal.
What could this mean for Chelsea’s season?:
Chelsea have a tough end to the season ahead, still having to face the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest as they look to make a return to Champions League football for the first time since the 22/23 season.
Earlier in the season, the Blues attack looked unstoppable, with these three returning players all in fantastic form.
There is no doubt that Palmer will be boosted by having Jackson back in the team as the two have linked up incredibly well in their two seasons at the club.
If the Blues can get these three players back into the form they have previously been in, then they look very good value to remain in a Champions League spot ahead of next season.
What’s Next?:
The Blues are not in action this weekend due to the FA Cup schedule.
Their next match will see them host bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, April 3rd.