Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been dealt a significant injury setback ahead of a critical period in the season, with striker Liam Delap expected to face another spell on the sidelines.
Delap's Injury Strikes During Bournemouth Draw
The blow came during Chelsea's goalless Premier League draw against AFC Bournemouth on the South coast on Saturday. Delap was forced off in the 32nd minute after sustaining a shoulder injury, compounding a frustrating afternoon for the Blues, who failed to bounce back from a midweek defeat to Leeds United.
Maresca confirmed the severity of the issue post-match, stating, "Unfortunately he has already been out for two months and he has to be out again. We don't know for how long, but it looks quite bad, his shoulder." The manager lamented the player's luck and the timing, adding, "He has been unlucky. We are also a bit unlucky because we need that kind of a No.9."
Timing Could Not Be Worse for Chelsea
The injury is particularly ill-timed for Chelsea, who are entering a defining sequence of matches. The result against Bournemouth leaves them vulnerable in the top-four race, with the possibility of dropping out of the Champions League places if Crystal Palace win on Sunday. They now trail third-placed Aston Villa by five points.
Delap's absence will be keenly felt during a run of fixtures that will test Chelsea's European credentials. The immediate schedule is daunting:
- A Premier League clash against fifth-placed Everton.
- A match against a resurgent Newcastle United.
- A pivotal meeting with Unai Emery's Aston Villa.
This demanding domestic stretch coincides with a Champions League fixture against Italian side Atalanta and a Carabao Cup Round of 16 tie against Cardiff City.
Maresca's Frustration with Attacking Quality
Beyond the injury concern, Maresca voiced his dissatisfaction with his team's performance in the final third against Bournemouth. "I think it was a game where we lacked and we missed a little bit of quality in the last third," he analysed. "For me, there were many mistakes. We missed some passes in the last third, some moments that we could shoot and didn't."
However, the Italian took a small positive from securing a clean sheet and a point when a win proved elusive. "But overall, when you are not able to win, we have said many times, that it's important that we don't lose... it's important at least to keep the clean sheet that gives us at least the chance to take points."
For Delap, this is a cruel repeat of earlier misfortune this season, having already missed a chunk of the campaign with a hamstring problem. Shoulder injuries are notoriously problematic for footballers, and his latest setback represents a major blow to both the player's development and Chelsea's short-term ambitions during a packed December schedule.
