There must be something about new Chelsea attackers playing in America. Nicolas Jackson knows how much a good pre-season in the States can do for you as much as anyone else.

It was his 2023 tour with Mauricio Pochettino that first hinted at his undoubted raw potential Chelsea had signed for £30million from Villarreal that summer. In a series of games against Wrexham, Brighton, Newcastle United, Fulham, and Borussia Dortmund, Jackson was among the brightest sparks.

Christopher Nkunku was as well. His injury against Dortmund in the last game of that trip remains one of the biggest 'sliding doors' moments in recent Chelsea memory.

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Jackson's red card against Flamengo in the Club World Cup last month might be viewed similarly further down the line.Even with the arrival of Liam Delap, Jackson entered the tournament as Chelsea's first-choice striker.

Four games later and he hasn't just lost that spot but he may well be third in line to start. Delap might have started against ES Tunis in the final group game regardless of Jackson's suspension. He had been given the nod against Flamengo, after all.

But once Jackson was ruled out, and then saw his ban upgraded to two matches, covering the last-16 against Benfica, the picture changed.At this point, Enzo Maresca would have been excused for thinking about getting more minutes into Delap's legs.

Chelsea were going to have to prepare for being Jackson-less on the opening day of the Premier League season as it is. His domestic suspension still has one match to run and that carries over to the visit of Crystal Palace.

Whereas Jackson has a year of playing and training under Maresca, so he is in tune with the demands both on and off the ball, Delap is still getting up to speed with the reunion. He has experience under the Italian from their time together at the Manchester City academy, but men's football is a different ball game.

Delap's own Club World Cup suspension, for an accumulation of yellow cards (if two yellow cards can be classed as an accumulation), looked to give Jackson a chance at redemption. Maresca preferred Joao Pedro off the bench against Palmeiras in the quarter-final and then did so again from the start on Tuesday against Fluminense.

Pedro's cameo debut was exciting and promising as he dropped deep to link up but also held the ball well, knocking it down in the air and forging early relationships with his new teammates. Having only come back from holiday a few days earlier, on which he was working to stay as fit and ready as possible, it was a mightily strong display.

Pedro had not played a club match for almost three months having been left out of the Brighton squad towards the end of last season. That makes his introduction at Chelsea even more remarkable.

A mixture of deserving an extended chance in the team, it being a useful opportunity to slot straight in, and possibly punishing Jackson even more by leaving him out, saw Pedro thrown into the semi-final. He made the moment count with two brilliant goals.

When Jackson did get on, at the hour mark, it provided Maresca with an energy influx.That is possibly the biggest bonus of signing Pedro and Delap, even if there are questions over how much the individuals improve the team.

Being able to rotate within the same game to keep things fresh, and then also between matches through selection, is something Maresca and Chelsea managers have not able to do in recent years. For Maresca last season he only had Nkunku and teenager Marc Guiu.

Neither were able to offer much genuine cover in the role. Now, with Pedro immediately making an impact, Delap looking to prove himself, and Jackson on the back foot, the dynamic has seriously changed for the second time already this summer.

Jackson's performance from the bench, and even going back to his red card, had more than an air of desperation about them. He is a player who looks like he is trying too much to make things happen.

When winning the ball back high up the field from chasing down a lost cause against Fluminense, the good part to his game, Jackson then opted to shoot at the near post rather than square to Cole Palmer, who was totally free for the tap-in. Jackson was disappointed in himself, kicking the ball against the advertising boards in frustration.

He jumped up and down on the spot before bowing his head. Jackson said some words to himself before sheepishly grimacing and putting out a hand in apology to Palmer. He hardly looked at his teammate out of embarrassment.

Palmer was less accepting, kicking the post and then screaming at Jackson for the poor judgment. It is impossible to know what Jackson would have done if Pedro had not scored twice, therefore adding pressure on his position.

Perhaps, with the need to demonstrate his talents and commitment to Chelsea, Jackson might have still decided to go for goal. Either way, this was a striker and a player playing for himself in the hope of changing the narrative around him.

In the end, it only added to the sense of unease and uncertainty. Chelsea will continue to be linked with new forwards and Jackson will be the centre of plenty of attention.

The club do not see him as untouchable, even if they are planning for him to be involved next season. This sort of stance, as has been seen with Noni Madueke, does invite interest. It is now over to Jackson to let his football do the talking. For now, he looks likely to have to wait it out as second choice, at best.