Huge Liam Delap boost for Chelsea as Enzo Maresca delivers surprise update on injured striker

Delap picked up an injury in just the third match of the 2025-26 campaign as he limped off in the first half of the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30 in the Premier League. Following this injury, Maresca confirmed that the striker is expected to be out of action for nearly 12 weeks. Delap's injury led to Chelsea initially cancelling Nicolas Jackson's loan move to Bayern Munich after giving the green signal. However, they eventually sanctioned the move on the deadline day as they brought Marc Guiu back from his loan spell at Sunderland. Tyrique George's transfer to Fulham also fell through after initially approving the move. 

In Delap's absence, Joao Pedro served as the club's only recognised striker, who has enjoyed success in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, having scored two goals and provided three assists in eight Premier League appearances thus far. 

Speaking on Delap's present condition and his possible return date, Maresca told reporters on Tuesday, "Liam is very close. He is not working with us yet, he is still out but hopefully he can start in the next days to take part in the session with us."

Chelsea will miss the service of the suspended Pedro for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Ajax on Wednesday. When asked about his plans to replace the Brazilian forward, Maresca added: "We have him [Guiu], we have also Tyrique who has played games as a nine in the past. He did well. He played I think against Benfica as a nine. We have different options. We have one more session this afternoon and then we decide. We trust Marc. We trust already last year, he was always playing in the Conference [League]. We also gave him some Premier League games so we show in the past that we trust Marc. Now he is again with us and he is going to play games for sure."

Defender Malo Gusto became the fourth Chelsea player, after Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro, to be sent off in the club's last six matches across all competitions as he was given his marching orders in the 87th minute of the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest last week after he pulled off a mindless challenge on Neco Williams.

Maresca, after the game, had claimed he wasn't worried about the red cards and ahead of the Ajax clash, he reiterated his statement as he added: "For sure it is something that we can do better. I think some of the red cards, we could avoid that. For example, the Malo one is completely avoidable. It is 3-0, the game is finished. But also, the other side, they don't want to concede, they want to continue to be aggressive. For sure, when you concede five or six red cards, there is something we have to improve and it is something we are for sure going to improve.

"[But] personally, I'm not that kind of manager to punish players. I don't think in my view it is the right way to do things. I prefer to help them understand and then from there to do the right things. Joao Pedro was [in the] last minutes of the game. Malo was [in the] last minutes of the game. So it depends, they are all different kinds of red cards. But if you concede four or five, it is something you have to do better. I have four kids. When they do something wrong, I don't punish them. I try to push them to do the right things and I try to treat the players in the same way: try to help them to understand and not to punish them. This is the way I see things - it can be right, wrong, I don't know - but it is the way I like to do things."

While Delap will still take some time before he fully returns to action for the Blues, the club have received a major boost on Enzo Fernandez's fitness after the midfielder missed the Forest clash last weekend. The Argentine international has returned to training and is expected to be part of Chelsea's matchday for the European clash.