Chelsea have been hit with a double injury setback, with striker Liam Delap reportedly ruled out for 10 weeks and summer recruit Dario Essugo undergoing thigh surgery.
Delap, who joined for £30million from Ipswich Town in June, was forced off during the first half of the 2-0 win over Fulham before the international break after pulling up while chasing a through ball.
The 22-year-old was initially expected to miss six to eight weeks, but further assessments have revealed the hamstring injury is worse than first feared and his recovery is now set to stretch into November, according to The Athletic.
That timeline means Delap will miss at least 12 matches across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup, including crunch domestic fixtures against Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham and European clashes with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Ajax.
He could return against Wolves on November 8, although the trip to Burnley after the international break may be a more realistic target.
The setback forced Chelsea to rethink their transfer deadline-day plans. Nicolas Jackson’s proposed loan move to Bayern Munich was briefly halted, before eventually going through when the club instead recalled Marc Guiu from Sunderland after just a month of his season-long loan.
Chelsea have been hit with a double injury setback, with striker Liam Delap reportedly ruled out for 10 weeks
Dario Essugo, meanwhile, posted an update from hospital on Tuesday after undergoing an operation on a thigh problem sustained while on duty
Joao Pedro, signed from Brighton for £60m this summer, is expected to lead the line in Delap’s absence having already impressed in a deeper role.
Essugo, meanwhile, posted an update from hospital on Tuesday after undergoing an operation on a thigh problem sustained while on duty with Portugal’s Under-21s.
The £18.5m midfielder shared a picture from his hospital bed and admitted his frustration, writing: ‘Unfortunately, during this international break with the National Team I felt something in my thigh that required surgery and will keep me out for a while.
‘It’s frustrating to start the season like this, especially after already facing another setback not long ago. But I truly believe everything happens for a reason. God has a bigger plan. I’ll be back stronger.’
The 20-year-old, signed from Sporting in the summer, had been hoping to push for first-team minutes under Enzo Maresca but will now face a spell on the sidelines at a time when Chelsea’s fixture list intensifies.
The Blues return to action against Brentford this weekend as they look to cope withou
