Chelsea know exactly what they need to do to secure qualification for the knockout stages of the Club World Cup.
A win and a defeat in their first two games means the Blues must defeat African side ES Tunis in their final group stage match.
With around $125m awaiting the winner of the competition, Enzo Maresca won't be settling for an early exit. That much is certain.
Enzo-Maresca
Several players have impressed stateside for the Stamford Bridge outfit across their opening two matches.
Liam Delap recorded an assist on his debut against LAFC last week, delivering an inch-perfect cross into the path of Enzo Fernández, who slotted home the club’s second goal.
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Elsewhere, Pedro Neto is enjoying a stunning tournament so far. Not only has the Portuguese winger scored in both games thus far, but he has also succeeded with four dribbles per game, and has created two big chances while averaging 2.5 key passes per match.
If he can deliver another wonderful display on Wednesday, the Blues will seal a place in the last 16 without much fuss.
Not everyone has shone in America, however, with Nicolas Jackson enduring a tournament to forget so far.
Why Nicolas Jackson's future is uncertain at Chelsea
Jackson was chosen by Maresca to start the first match against LAFC, where he did manage to grab an assist and make three key passes, although the striker did miss a big chance, something he's become famed for since moving to London.
It was a solid, if unspectacular, start to the Club World Cup, but Liam Delap’s impressive cameo in the same game meant he would be tasked with leading the line from the start against Flamengo.
Nicolas-Jackson-Chelsea-Club-World-Cup
The Englishman performed admirably, but was substituted off with just under 30 minutes left, replaced by Jackson.
The former Villarreal star didn’t have long to make an impression, but just four minutes after coming on, he committed a dreadful challenge on Lucas Ayrton, which saw him receive a straight red card.
He can have no complaints, especially given the studs-up nature of the challenge. Jackson will now miss the final group stage match for the Blues.
Jackson's PL stats for Chelsea last season
Goals
Assists
Shots per game
Goal conversion percentage
Key passes per game
Big chances missed
Via Sofascore
Both Juventus and Napoli have reportedly shown interest in signing the Blues centre-forward this summer amid his poor displays and now recent sending-off.
However, an update from Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol quashed the rumours of a potential departure, stating that "Chelsea are planning to have at least two frontline strikers in their squad next season which means Nicolas Jackson is not for sale at the moment."
Nicolas Jackson Premier League stats (timeless)
It appears as though Jackson will still be a player that Maresca needs in his squad next season, but things have to change if he wishes to contribute effectively.
Could signing a new attacking midfielder perhaps help in this regard?
Chelsea target move for Bundesliga sensation
Maresca has been searching for a new winger over the previous few weeks and players such as Mohammed Kudus, Tyler Dibling and Jamie Gittens are among the main targets.
There are other positions which need bolstering too, including the defence and midfield. This has led Maresca to search far and wide for potential new signings.
One player who is on their radar is RB Leipzig starlet Xavi Simons. That is according to football.london, who also state that the likes of Joao Pedro, Kudus and Ekitike are those on the club’s wish list this summer.
xavi-simons-rb-leipzig-celebrate
No transfer fee has been mentioned regarding a move for the Dutchman, but considering he has a contract until 2027 with the club and is valued at €70m (£60m) by Transfermarkt, the Blues could be forced to splash the cash.
This is, of course, nothing new to the Blues, and if Simons does make the move to London, he could be the man to revive Jackson. That’s for sure.
Why Xavi Simons could revive Nicolas Jackson
Last season for Leipzig, Simons demonstrated why, in the words of one data analyst, he is "one of the best 10s in the world," not only scoring 11 goals, but also registering eight assists in all competitions.
In the Bundesliga, the Dutch starlet created 12 big chances while also averaging two key passes per game and these sorts of numbers could be music to Jackson's ears.
If deployed directly behind the Senegal international, Simons would surely create chance upon chance for the player, hopefully helping him hit that magic 20-goal-a-season mark next term.
Furthermore, he displayed his creative abilities in the Champions League last season. When compared to his peers in the competition, Simons ranked highly on a range of metrics.
Indeed, he ranked in the top 9% for successful ons (1.88) per 90, in the top 2% for shot-creating actions (5.91) and also in the top 89% for progressive carries (3.22) per 90 in the competition.
xavi-simons-rb-leipzig
Yet more evidence of how Simons could revive Jackson. He can beat his man consistently while bringing the ball into the final third with ease.
All Jackson has to do is get into the correct positions, and he will have a plethora of chances to score next term.
Further hailed by journalist Alex Barker as “one of the best youngsters in Europe” towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, it won't be long before he hits the very top and he could do just that at Stamford Bridge.
Netherlands' Xavi Simons celebrates scoring their third goal
Will Chelsea ramp up their interest in the player as the transfer window goes on? While a winger remains the priority for Maresca, signing someone like Simons is a must.
Jackson could turn into a new man next season by having Simons operating just behind him. As evidenced, the Dutchman can generate chances galore and regularly bursts into the opposition penalty box.
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Chelsea must try and get this fantastic deal over the line.