Nicolas Jackson has been registered in time to be available for Aston Villa against Arsenal on Monday night, handing Unai Emery a major attacking boost ahead of the Villa Park clash.
Villa have yet to officially announce Jackson’s arrival from Chelsea, but the £65million transfer has progressed far enough for the striker to be registered before the relevant deadline.
Matt Law reports that Jackson was registered in time to be considered for selection against Arsenal, despite Villa still waiting to formally confirm the deal.
That means Emery could hand his new striker an immediate debut on Monday.
Nicolas Jackson available for Aston Villa against Arsenal
Jackson’s availability is significant given the rapid changes to Villa’s attack this week.
The Senegal international has already completed his medical after Villa reached an agreement with Chelsea worth up to £65m.
Villa moved for Jackson as Ollie Watkins closes in on completing his transfer to Al-Hilal, leaving Emery needing a new first-choice centre-forward.
ReadAstonVilla has already looked at how Jackson could fit into Emery’s new-look side, with his previous experience under the Villa manager at Villarreal potentially helping him settle quickly.
Jackson’s registration also changes the selection picture outlined in our Aston Villa vs Arsenal team-news guide.
Villa are already without João Gomes through suspension and are managing several other fitness issues, making Jackson’s availability particularly welcome.
Arsenal could also hand Ezri Konsa a debut against his former club after Mikel Arteta confirmed the defender is available for selection.
Villa host Arsenal at 8pm BST on Monday 31 August.
Jackson’s transfer still requires an official club announcement, but Emery now knows his new striker can be involved immediately.
