Chelsea’s new signing Liam Delap has avoided surgery on his injury. The striker is expected back in action after around 10 weeks.
Chelsea handed boost on Liam Delap injury
Chelsea fans can breathe a little easier after learning Liam Delap won’t require surgery for the hamstring injury.
The England youth striker joined the Blues in the summer following Ipswich Town’s relegation. He limped out in the first half of his second league start against Fulham. At first sight it looked very serious, but reports claim the recovery plan is far less serious than feared.
Journalist David Ornstein makes clear Delap will be sidelined for roughly 10 weeks. But, the good news is he should be back on the training pitch by November. Given his sharp start to the season, this is a relief for both the player and Enzo Maresca. The head coach had just started building his attack around the 21-year-old.
Blues’ striker options during his absence
With Delap out, Maresca is forced to shuffle his unit. Joao Pedro looks set to lead the line. Although, his absence from the number 10 role leaves a gap further back. Cole Palmer’s own injury adds to the headache, and it means Chelsea will need more creativity from midfield.
The return of Marc Guiu offers another solution in the centre-forward slot. But, he’s still raw at PL level. Even so, the Blues have enough depth to stay competitive until Delap returns. The key point here is timing. The striker should be fit for the busy winter schedule, when huge games tests every squad. Avoiding surgery is a win for Delap. Also, it helps the Blues’ season as a whole.
Author’s Opinion:
Delap’s injury could have been very bad, but the fact they won’t need to do surgery is a great sign. He is going to miss weeks, not months. Chelsea still have enough attacking resources to be able to manage until then.
