Chelsea striker Liam Delap could be out of action until December after suffering a hamstring injury before the international break, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.
Delap, who joined the Blues from Ipswich in June for £30 million ($40 million), had featured in all three of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season. However, he was forced off during the club’s 2-0 victory over Fulham on August 30.
“Liam, I think it’s around 10 to 12 weeks, so a long way to go,” Maresca told reporters.
To provide cover, Chelsea recalled Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland following Nicolas Jackson’s transfer to Bayern Munich on deadline day. Joao Pedro, who signed from Brighton in July, is another option, though Maresca admitted Delap’s absence has left him short of forwards ahead of Saturday’s west London derby at Brentford.
“We have the injury for sure now in this moment as a number nine,” Maresca said. “The only one is Guiu. And Joao (Pedro) also can play there. Against Fulham, we used Tyrique (George) as a nine. So we can also think about him.”
England international Cole Palmer is close to returning after missing recent games against West Ham and Fulham with a groin injury and may feature on Saturday. However, there are fitness concerns for Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian, and Andrey Santos, all of whom only returned from Brazil duty late Thursday after a 1-0 defeat to Bolivia at high altitude. Moises Caicedo also returned late following Ecuador’s win over Argentina.
“The three Brazilian players arrived yesterday, they didn’t train, they did some recovery sessions,” Maresca explained. “Moises arrived last night. They’re all a question mark for tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Maresca praised winger Alejandro Garnacho, who arrived from Manchester United, though he admitted the Argentine is still regaining full fitness.
Chelsea, who lifted both the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup during Maresca’s debut season, currently sit second in the Premier League after three matches.
Off the pitch, the club was charged by the Football Association on Thursday with 74 alleged breaches of regulations concerning agent payments between 2009 and 2022. Most of the charges cover the 2010/11 to 2015/16 seasons when Roman Abramovich owned the club.
“I know the club are satisfied about the situation, about the process,” Maresca said. “Personally I don’t have anything to add because I don’t have any idea. If I say something I could be wrong. I just focus on the pitch side, which I can control. I don’t think the players are too worried about the situation to be honest.”
What You Should Know
Liam Delap’s injury is a major setback for Chelsea, especially after Nicolas Jackson’s departure to Bayern Munich.
Manager Enzo Maresca now faces limited forward options, relying on recalled youngster Marc Guiu and versatile choices like Joao Pedro and Tyrique George.
Chelsea remain in strong league form despite the blow, but the FA’s fresh charges related to past agent payments loom over the club’s off-field reputation.
