Chelsea’s Injury Update
Chelsea’s head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed that forward Liam Delap will be out of action for approximately 10 to 12 weeks due to a hamstring injury. The £30 million summer acquisition from Ipswich Town sustained this injury during Chelsea’s recent victory over Fulham, just before the international break. This incident prompted a frenzied last-minute transfer activity, resulting in the recall of Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland.
Transfer Developments
In light of Delap’s situation, Chelsea made attempts to halt Nicolas Jackson‘s impending transfer to Bayern Munich, but the striker ultimately decided to remain in Germany, successfully completing the move on deadline day.
“Nico is currently a Bayern Munich player. I spoke to him, wishing him well. He worked hard while with us,”
Maresca commented during a news conference. He also noted that if the club wanted to pursue a different path concerning Jackson’s transfer, they would have had the authority to do so.
Offensive Strategy
With Delap now sidelined, Chelsea will rely on players like Guiu and João Pedro to spearhead their offense, in addition to Tyrique George, who filled in for Delap against Fulham. However, George’s transfer to Fulham appeared imminent with a £22 million deal that unexpectedly fell through on deadline day.
Player Fitness Concerns
Additionally, Cole Palmer’s participation in England’s World Cup qualifying victories over Andorra and Serbia was absent due to injury, raising doubts about his availability for Chelsea’s Premier League matchup against Brentford this Saturday.
“Cole joined training for the first time yesterday, albeit not fully. We will assess him again after today’s session to determine his fitness for tomorrow’s game,”
Maresca explained.
Addressing External Issues
As Chelsea prepares for upcoming matches, the club’s impending 74 Football Association charges concerning alleged payments to agents were also addressed. Maresca reassured that this situation was not a distraction for the players.
“The club is content with the process, and personally, I have no further insight to provide. My focus remains only on what we can control on the pitch, not the external matters. I believe the players are largely unfazed by the situation,”
he concluded.
