Football
Liam Delap Injury: Enzo Maresca delivers surprise update

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has provided a major update on Liam Delap’s injury as he revealed when the striker would return to action.
Delap joined the Blues from Ipswich Town in the summer and featured at the Club World Cup. However, he picked up an injury at the beginning of the 2025-26 season and was expected to be out of action for nearly 12 weeks.
The England forward 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.
While Chelsea have continued to put in impressive performances in his absence, Maresca has shared a new update about his recovery.

Liam Delap receives medical treatment during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Fulham. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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 Joao Pedro for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Ajax on Wednesday.

Referee, Daniel Siebert shows a red card to Joao Pedro during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Chelsea FC and SL Benfica (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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.”
Maresca also spoke about Chelsea’s disciplinary record. Defender Malo Gusto during the weekend 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.
The France defender was given his marching orders in the 87th minute of the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest 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.”
