After a poor start to the season, things might be starting to look up for Chelsea a bit. They have won a few games on the trot, with the latest one being a confidence-boosting 5-1 victory against Ajax despite not playing their strongest team. And it looks like key players are close to returning from injury absences as well.
One of the main reasons behind Chelsea's shaky form at the start of the season is the number of injury problems that they are dealing with at the moment. Once the Blues are able to put those behind, they might look like a very different team.
Liam Delap is someone who has been out on the sidelines since early in the campaign. He was signed in the summer from Ipswich Town. And although he has scored just once in nine games for Chelsea, he was starting to find a bit of rhythm before his untimely injury.
Delap's recovery seems to have gotten faster than first expected. There was a belief that he could be out until late November or early December. But it looks like he could be available for Chelsea's game against Wolves in the League Cup next week.
Chelsea injury boost as Enzo Maresca confirms return
The English striker has already returned to training, which is a big positive. As reported by The Standard, Enzo Maresca said regarding Delap's return to the pitch:
"Liam took part in the session with the team for the first time. So, he’s not going to be available for tomorrow’s game but probably for the next one."
When asked about the possibility of Delap being available for the game against Wolves, Maresca said:
"He can be available.
“The schedule can change a little bit, it depends on how they improve or getting worse. The first time they (the medical team) said to me that he could be available for the 25th October."
Of course, the last thing that Chelsea need to do is rush him back into action. Unfortunately, it appeared that they did it with Cole Palmer and it resulted in a further injury which will keep him out of action for months.
Delap has to be eased back into action, having missed a few months of football. But once back to full fitness, he could be a major contributor for this team. His presence up top could help get the best out of Joao Pedro as well, who seems to be better suited to playing a focal point instead being the number 9 himself.