The build-up to Chelsea’s clash with Bayern Munich has been dominated by off-pitch noise, after Nicolas Jackson’s agent ruled out the striker’s return to Stamford Bridge.

His representative suggested that a strained relationship with head coach Enzo Maresca was one of the reasons behind the stance.

However, Maresca moved quickly to quash those rumours in his pre-match press conference. The Italian firmly denied any friction with the Senegalese forward.

“Me, personally, I don’t have any kind of problem with Nico. I do not have any sort of problem with Nico,” insisted Maresca.

The Chelsea boss was also keen to stress the professionalism and attitude Jackson showed during his time at the club. “He is a good guy, a good professional and he worked well with us. That is it.”
Interestingly, Jackson could line up against his former teammates when Bayern Munich face Chelsea.

Maresca acknowledged that the striker’s knowledge of Chelsea’s methods could provide Vincent Kompany with an edge, but downplayed the potential impact.
“It can be a small advantage [having an inside knowledge of Chelsea] because he [Vincent Kompany] can ask Nico how we work. He knows how we approach games, but at the end, we will see.”