Breaking News: FA ban will mean Chelsea miss half their outfield starters for Liverpool clash

After watching video from Stamford Bridge yesterday that unequivocally showed Nicolas Jackson striking Nottingham Forest defender Morato in the face during a late-game altercation, Chelsea is still worried about his health.

The first half of the contest was actually pretty quiet and lethargic, not at all like a frantic match. However, as the game came to a close, James Ward-Prowse was sent off for a second yellow card, and Chelsea began to press for a victory with support from the home crowd.

The altercation started after Marc Cucurella was intentionally tripped off the ball by Neco Williams, sending him flying into his own manager on the sidelines. Jackson was among the athletes who hurried to defend his manager off the bench.

A few yellow cards finally broke up the brawl, but no one saw Jackson’s much more serious offense at the time. The Evening Standard reports that Chelsea is currently waiting on the FA to take retroactive action over their striker.

Chelsea might lose half of its current starting lineup.

A player ban would not be ideal at this time. After the international break, we play Liverpool at Anfield, and Cucurella and Wesley Fofana are already out due to suspension after receiving bookings today.

Late in the game, injuries also forced Noni Madueke and Levi Colwill from the field. Although Enzo Maresca downplayed their issues, their probable absence together with that of Fofana, Cucurella, and Jackson could mean that a much diminished team will be taking on one of the more difficult games of the year.

Maresca justified his player’s behavior in his post-game press conference, but it’s quite annoying when you mix it with all of the problems from the previous year in the same area.