Chelsea have been dealt a setback with striker Liam Delap ruled out for up to three months after sustaining a hamstring injury in the club’s 2-0 win over Fulham before the international break.
The 22-year-old forward was forced off just 14 minutes into the London derby at Stamford Bridge and manager Enzo Maresca confirmed he will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks.
While surgery has been avoided, Chelsea are not expecting Delap to return until late November or early December.
The timing of the injury is frustrating for both player and club; Delap, signed from Ipswich Town for £30m in June, had started all three of Chelsea’s opening fixtures and was seen as an important attacking option following Nicolas Jackson’s £70.5m move to Bayern Munich.
He had also impressed last season at Ipswich, scoring 12 Premier League goals in 37 appearances.
Chelsea moved quickly to cover the absence by recalling 18-year-old striker Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland just 24 hours after Delap’s injury.
Summer signing Joao Pedro, who arrived from Brighton, is also expected to lead the line in the coming weeks, while Maresca hinted at the possibility of using academy prospect Ty George.
“For us, the only natural number nine is [Marc] Guiu, while Joao [Pedro] can play there,” Maresca explained. “Against Fulham, we also used Ty [George]. It’s about adapting with what we have.”
There is, however, more positive news regarding Cole Palmer, the 23-year-old England international returned to partial training this week after missing recent victories over West Ham and Fulham with a groin issue.
“Cole took part in the session yesterday, not the entire session,” Maresca said on Friday. “We will try again with him this afternoon and see if he’s OK. Otherwise, he won’t be available tomorrow. When he’s fit, we’ll have to manage him carefully because of the number of games.”
Palmer was one of Chelsea’s standout performers last season, registering 18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, and his return would provide a timely boost as the Blues face Brentford on Saturday evening.
Off-field turbulence
Despite their solid start to the 2025/26 campaign — seven points from their first three games — Chelsea’s preparations have been overshadowed by fresh controversy off the pitch.
On Thursday, the Football Association (FA) charged the club with 74 alleged breaches of agent and intermediary regulations, spanning the Abramovich ownership era between 2009 and 2022.
The charges include irregularities in payments to agents and third-party investments in players, with deals for high-profile signings such as Eden Hazard and Willian believed to be under scrutiny.
Maresca, however, insisted he was not distracted by matters beyond his control.
“I know from the club that they are satisfied about the process,” he said. “Personally, I have nothing to add. I want to focus on the pitch, something I can control. The rest is not in my hands.”
Potential sanctions range from financial penalties to transfer bans or even points deductions.
However, Chelsea’s new ownership, led by BlueCo, has been praised for proactively self-reporting the historical breaches after completing the takeover in 2022.
The club is hopeful that its full cooperation will mitigate the risk of a sporting sanction.
For now, Maresca’s priority is clear: managing his depleted forward options and maintaining Chelsea’s encouraging early-season momentum.