Paul Merson has pinpointed Nicolas Jackson’s absence as the key reason behind Cole Palmer’s recent dip in form at Chelsea. The Sky Sports pundit believes the duo complement each other on the pitch and that Palmer has struggled without the Senegalese striker.

Palmer, who arrived from Manchester City for £42.5 million in 2023, quickly became one of Chelsea’s standout players. The 22-year-old England international had an explosive start to the season, racking up 20 goal contributions in the Premier League. However, he has now gone five consecutive games without a goal, with his last strike coming in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth a month ago.

Jackson suffered a hamstring injury against West Ham on February 3 and is sidelined until April. Merson believes his absence has significantly affected Palmer’s game.

Speaking to Sky Sports (via Metro), Merson explained:

“They miss Jackson. Palmer makes Jackson and Jackson makes Palmer. People will go ‘don’t be silly, Palmer’s an unbelievable player,’ but you’re only as good as the players you’re playing in front of you.”

The former Arsenal man elaborated on how Jackson’s movement creates space for Palmer:

“He’s got no movement so what happens is if Jackson doesn’t make those runs, he’s a willing player who stretches the game then Palmer comes in and gets the ball. Now Nkunku comes short, Palmer comes short and everything just closes up.”

With Chelsea set to face Aston Villa on February 22, Enzo Maresca will need to find a solution to Palmer’s struggles as the Blues push for a strong finish to the season.