Mauricio Pochettino revealed he has spoken to Nicolas Jackson about his yellow card tally but insists he will adapt after picking up four bookings already this season for dissent.
One more would earn the Senegalese striker, who Pochettino believes could be a slow burner like Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, a one-game ban.
With Armando Broja having not yet played this season following his long-term knee injury, but potentially in contention for Sunday’s visit of Aston Villa, and Christopher Nkunku out injured, a ban for Jackson would be an attacking headache Pochettino could do without.
He said: ‘We were talking about that today because we were in a meeting with him and also Enzo [Fernandez]. I think, come on. A striker, four yellow cards only for talking with the referee?
‘You need to get some yellow cards in different actions, not for that. It’s so easy, so cheap yellow cards and I think it is going to put in a very difficult situation the team but he understood.
Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he has held a meeting with Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson over their frequent bookings this season
Jackson has picked up four yellow cards in five matches – all for talking back to the officials
Pochettino told Jackson that he has to tread carefully with Premier League referees
‘But he needs to be clever not to protest to the referees. Maybe because it is his normal behaviour on the pitch, it’s a thing that maybe needs to improve. Maybe this season, change the rule, he came from Spain, it’s different the relationship with the referees in England, [things have] now changed and it is more sensitive, the people about this.
‘It’s all about adapting himself and he’s clever and for sure he will adapt. I hope that on Sunday, now we are talking about he is clever and then [it is not] first action yellow card!’
Jackson has scored just once for Chelsea since his £32m move from Villarreal but Pochettino said: ‘We were talking about Broja but Jackson is 22 also. He is young, needs to learn, improve, settle himself.
‘I think he is a fantastic player, going to be a fantastic player but, needs time. There was one friend today with us and we were talking about the players and I like always to do some similarities with another club. Jackson is a fantastic player. Yes, he needs to be calm and relaxed in front of the goal and for sure he is going to score a lot of goals.
‘But remember Vinicius arrive and after three seasons, or two seasons and a half he starts to perform.
‘Always we forget we are talking about young players. Of course you can blame us, blame me and talk about tactics but they need time to settle.
‘For me it’s no doubt we have the talent, amazing talent on the team but now they need time to settle and for sure they’re going to start to perform in the way that we expect.’
