Chelsea have been dealt a blow as striker Liam Delap is set to be sidelined for an extended period of time after suffering a hamstring injury in the win over Fulham before the international break.
The 22-year-old, who joined from Ipswich Town for £30m in June, was forced off just 14 minutes into the Blues’ 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Delap had featured in all three of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season and scored once during their FIFA Club World Cup triumph but is still waiting for his first league goal of the campaign.
Last season, he managed 14 goal involvements in the top flight and was a rare bright spark in an Ipswich team that ultimately faced relegation.
Delap’s absence comes during a rather turbulent period for the Blues’ attack.
Nicolas Jackson sealed a complicated season-long loan move to Bayern Munich on the stroke of deadline day, leaving Enzo Maresca with fewer options in a key position.
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To offset the loss, Chelsea have recalled 18-year-old Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland, with the teenager expected to add depth to Maresca’s frontline.
Joao Pedro, signed from Brighton earlier this summer, is now the leading option to spearhead the attack, though Maresca is also open to experimenting in the center forward role.
How long will Delap be out?
Speaking in a press conference on Friday (September 12), Maresca confirmed that Delap is expected to be sidelined for at least 10 to 12 weeks, ruling him out until at least early December.
“Liam [will be out] for around 10 to 12 weeks, so there’s a long way to go,” the Chelsea boss said.
When asked about his options up front, he added: “For us, the only number nine is [Marc] Guiu and Joao [Pedro] can play there, and against Fulham we used Ty [George].”
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Maresca also provided an update on talisman Cole Palmer, who missed the win over West Ham with an injury and remains doubtful for this weekend’s west London derby against Brentford.
“Cole took part in a session yesterday for the first time – but not the entire session,” Maresca explained.
“Today in the afternoon, we have one more session, and we are going to try with him and see if he is ok. Otherwise, he will be out tomorrow again.
Palmer’s return is being managed carefully, with Maresca emphasizing the need to balance recovery against the demanding fixture list.
Delap will miss Chelsea’s clash with the Bees on Saturday (September 13) as well as the start of their Champions League campaign, which begins with a blockbuster meeting against Bayern Munich in midweek.
With Delap sidelined and Palmer racing to return, Maresca will be relying heavily on Joao Pedro, Guiu, and his wide players to carry the goalscoring burden for now.
Chelsea news and related links
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- Ben Chilwell bids emotional farewell to Chelsea fans following Ligue 1 transfer
- Chelsea ace confirms completed contract extension discussions with club