Cole Palmer lost his patience with Nicolas Jackson in the last phases of the 2-0 victory of Chelsea on Fluminense on Tuesday and kicked the mail in anger after he was not passed on for a simple tick.
The side of Enzo Maresca achieved their place in the inaugural club World Cup final with a comfortable victory over the Brazilian giants, while new £ 60 million signing Joao Pedro twice to start his blues career with a flying start.
Pedro, who previously played for Fluminense and chose twice before not to celebrate his former side, scored his first with an excellent curling effort in the 18th minute before he doubled his count with a smart and powerful strike early in the second half.
Chelsea had a fantastic opportunity to bring the game to bed in the 80th minute after replacement Jackson released in the penalty area, pulled a defender to release Palmer between the spot and six meters of box.
But the Senegalese attacker chose to shoot to Palmer's dismay and to fire his efforts wide from the target and in the side network.
Chelsea's No 10 immediately threw his hands in a frustrated way in the area before he stamped his foot against the post.
Palmer then seemed angry to shout at his teammate who held his hand in apology while he walked sheepishly back on the field with his head bent.
Jackson, who was a fixture in the side of Maresca during the 2024-25 campaign, suddenly finds his start spot under a significant threat to the new season.
Pedro has hit the ground, only a few days after his switch from Brighton, while colleague Summer Liam Delap signs £ 30 million to Ipswich, contributes to the fierce competition about the decision of Maresca at the top of the field.
Jackson enjoyed a solid return in terms of his output last season, and took 10 Premier League goals – 13 in total – and regularly praised Maresca during his debut campaign charged with the club.
But many fans were frustrated by his persistent lack of discipline at important times in competitions, where Jackson was sent to Newcastle against Newcastle in the third Premier League match and then again in the Club World Cup during the second group phase of Chelsea versus Flamengo.
According to reports in Italy, AC Milan asked about Jackson's availability this summer after the arrival of Pedro and Delap for the Maresca team.
It is claimed that the name of Jackson was mentioned during the negotiations for Archie Brown, who is left back at Ghent and is also important for Milan.
Brown has the same agent as the blues forward, which means that a relationship has already formed between Milan and the entourage of the Jackson.
However, the reports claim that Jackson would only be sold by Chelsea if an important offer arrives.
Chelsea will now be confronted with Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid in the club World Cup final on Sunday after their victory over Fluminense.