Chelsea striker Liam Delap is not expected to need surgery on a hamstring injury suffered before the international break, a report has revealed.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca confidently predicted Delap could miss around eight weeks after limping off against Fulham—an injury which sparked a hectic end to the transfer window for Chelsea.
Nicolas Jackson’s loan move to Bayern Munich was initially cancelled, while young striker Marc Guiu was soon recalled from a loan with Sunderland after Chelsea officials grew concerned Delap’s absence may exceed Maresca’s estimations. Jackson was ultimately allowed to join Bayern after the Bundesliga side raised their offer with a record loan fee and a conditional obligation to buy which club official Uli Hoeneß recently insisted would “never” be triggered.
Chelsea declined to sign another striker, evidently with one eye on the development of Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha, who has been earmarked for a role at Stamford Bridge perhaps as soon as next season.
Guiu will offer cover for João Pedro during Delap’s absence which, according to The Athletic, is not expected to last any longer than 10 weeks.
Further scans have confirmed the former Ipswich Town striker does not need surgery and he is expected back in training in November, shortly before the start of Chelsea's hectic festive schedule.
10 weeks from the date of the initial injury lands Delap in the middle of November, which is split up by another international break. The trip to Burnley on Nov. 22, three days before a Champions League meeting with Barcelona, could be earmarked as a potential return date.
Such a recovery would see Delap miss a further 13 games for Chelsea, including meetings with Bayern Munich and Manchester United later this month and a trip to Liverpool in early October.
While the news surrounding Delap’s injury is largely positive, the same cannot be said for midfielder Dário Essugo, who had to withdraw from Portugal’s U21 squad with an injury which did not appear to be particularly serious.
Chelsea have now confirmed the young midfielder has undergone surgery on a thigh injury. His recovery date has not yet been revealed.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liam Delap Injury: Chelsea Learn Striker’s ‘Return Timeline’.