Chelsea forward Liam Delap could return to action sooner than initially feared after scans revealed his hamstring injury is less severe than first thought. The 22-year-old, who joined the Blues from Ipswich Town for £30m in the summer, suffered the setback during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Fulham just before the international break.
Manager Enzo Maresca had initially expressed concern, stating that hamstring injuries typically require weeks of recovery. However, according to The Athletic, Delap is expected to resume training in November and could be back in contention before the Christmas fixtures, with no surgery required. His absence is now projected to last around 10 weeks from the date of injury.
Delap, an England Under-21 international, has already made a positive impression at Stamford Bridge. He scored twice in a pre-season friendly against AC Milan and helped Chelsea win the Club World Cup in the summer, finding the net against Esperance in the group stage.
Maresca has previously praised Delap, describing him as a potential future England No.9. The Italian coach highlighted their previous collaboration at Manchester City's Under-21 side, where Delap scored 24 goals in a season. Despite the injury setback, Maresca remains confident in the striker's abilities and his fit within the team's system.
