Chelsea 0-1 Juventus: Nicolas Jackson substituted early...but report suggests it is not what it seems

Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson reportedly made a noteworthy gesture during Wednesday's friendly against Juventus.

The Blues recorded a 1-0 defeat to the Serie A giants as Xabi Alonso suffered a second setback in succession.

Mykhaylo Mudryk's return after a 616-day absence was one of the major talking points, with Alonso admitting that the experience had been "emotional for everyone".

Jackson was the player who was withdrawn for the Ukrainian star, despite only being introduced at half time.

However, as per The Athletic, the development should not be viewed in a negative light.

© Imago / Nexpher Images

Jackson makes Mudryk gesture on return

The report says that Jackson had already agreed with Alonso that he would be the player withdrawn when Mudryk was introduced into the action in the 82nd minute.

Amid ongoing speculation regarding his future, there could have been a perception that Alonso had not been satisfied with the Senegal international's contribution, or he wanted to see other players.

Instead, there was no controversy over the 25-year-old lasting less than a half of football.

Jackson had previously looked lively - albeit inconsistent - against Juventus, creating one chance for Marco Palestra that was squandered and failing to make the most of another attack.

© Iconsport / PA images

What next for Chelsea?

Chelsea are now halfway through their pre-season schedule, winning their first game against Western Sydney Wanderers by a 6-4 scoreline before losing to Spurs and Juventus.

Next up is a meeting with AC Milan on Saturday, with Jackson and Mudryk both hoping for more game time.