Chelsea are looking to get their season back on track. Back-to-back wins over Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have helped in that regard. That being said, both those teams are struggling badly at the moment. So, it might be a mistake to judge Enzo Maresca's side based on those two victories. Much tougher tests lie ahead, the next one being a game against Ajax.
One of the key reasons Chelsea have struggled this season is because of how many injuries they are dealing with at the moment. Maresca simply does not have the depth or quality at the moment to be competing with the best in Europe.
That being said, there is some good news on the injury front. It looks like a potentially important player is closing in on fitness.
The player in question is none other than Liam Delap, who has been out on the sidelines since late August. But it looks like he is very close to his return. Maresca said as reported by the club's official website:
"Liam is very close. He’s not working with us yet – he’s still out – but hopefully in the next days he can begin taking part in the sessions with us."
'Very close' - Enzo Maresca confirms brilliant Chelsea news
Now, Delap has not been a freescoring striker during his time at Chelsea. He has managed to score just once in nine appearances. But he does bring a lot of other things to the table.
One of them is making others around him better. For example, it has become pretty clear over the past couple of months that Joao Pedro is not an out-and-out striker. The goals have dried up for him and he is perhaps going to rediscover his form once he gets back playing with a focal point up top.
Of course, Delap's actual return to competitive action might still be multiple weeks away. But for now, this is a positive that Chelsea fans should be happy about.