Just 16 days after sealing a loan move to Bayern Munich, Nicolas Jackson could line up against his parent club Chelsea in Wednesday’s Champions League fixture at the Allianz Arena.
Unlike Premier League rules that bar on-loan players from featuring against their parent sides, UEFA regulations allow them to play freely in European competitions. The governing body’s “Integrity of Competitions” rule prevents clubs from influencing which players opponents may or may not select.
The rule has shaped famous Champions League moments in the past. Thibaut Courtois produced a decisive performance for Atlético Madrid against Chelsea in the 2014 semi-final, while Fernando Morientes scored in both legs of Monaco’s 2004 quarter-final triumph over Real Madrid. More recently, Kingsley Coman scored for Bayern against Juventus in 2016, and Philippe Coutinho struck twice and assisted another in Bayern’s 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in 2020.
Jackson, 24, joined Bayern for a loan fee of €16.5 million ($19.5m), with the German club obligated to make the move permanent for €65m. The deal has been reported as the most lucrative loan arrangement in football history, although Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeneß has publicly cast doubt on the permanent transfer clause being exercised.
The Senegal international made his debut off the bench in Bayern’s 5-0 win over Hamburg on Saturday. Head coach Vincent Kompany declined to confirm on Tuesday whether Jackson would start against Chelsea, saying only that his squad was fully focused on the task ahead.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged the striker’s potential influence, particularly in offering Bayern insight into his former side’s preparations. “I don’t have any kind of problem with Nico,” Maresca said. “He’s a good guy, a good professional who worked well with us. That’s it. It’s a small advantage because [Kompany] can ask Nico the way we work and the way we try to prepare games. He knows exactly the way we approach games.”
With Chelsea already stretched by injuries, Jackson’s presence for Bayern adds intrigue to a high-stakes Champions League encounter that could see the striker haunt his former club.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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