Chelsea striker Liam Delap could be sidelined for up to three months after sustaining a hamstring injury, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.
The 21-year-old, who joined from Ipswich for £30 million ($40 million) in June, has featured in all three of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season but limped off early during the 2-0 win against Fulham on August 30.
“Liam, I think it’s around 10 to 12 weeks, so a long way to go,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Saturday’s west London derby at Brentford.
Chelsea recalled teenage striker Marc Guiu from a loan spell at Sunderland to bolster their attacking options after Nicolas Jackson’s deadline-day move to Bayern Munich. Joao Pedro, signed from Brighton in July, is another option, while academy product Tyrique George was used as a makeshift striker against Fulham.
England forward Cole Palmer is close to returning from a groin injury, but Maresca admitted he faces uncertainty over the availability of Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian and Andrey Santos after the trio returned from international duty in Bolivia late on Thursday. Moises Caicedo also arrived back in London after Ecuador’s victory over Argentina.
“The three Brazilian players arrived yesterday, they didn’t train, they did some recovery sessions. Moises arrived last night. They’re all a question mark for tomorrow,” Maresca said.
The Italian added that winger Alejandro Garnacho, signed from Manchester United, was “working well” but still not fully fit.
Chelsea, who won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup in Maresca’s first season, sit second in the Premier League after three matches.
Off the pitch, the club were this week charged by the Football Association with 74 alleged breaches of agent payment rules between 2009 and 2022, mostly under former owner Roman Abramovich.
“I know the club are satisfied about the situation, about the process,” Maresca said. “I don’t think the players are too worried. Personally I don’t have anything to add. I just focus on the pitch side, which I can control.”
