Enzo Maresca offered a worrying update on Liam Delap’s hamstring injury following Chelsea’s win over Fulham.
The Blues continued their impressive start to the new season following a controversial 2-0 win over their west London rivals at Stamford Bridge.
With seven points from nine, Chelsea head into the international break in a good place but the injury to Delap took some of the gloss of a derby win.
The summer signing from Ipswich started up front in place of Cole Palmer, who failed to recover from the setback he suffered during the warm-up ahead of last weekend’s victory over West Ham.
Delap, however, lasted just 14 minutes before he pulled up chasing a long ball and was replaced by teenager Tyrique George.
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Asked for an update on the former Ipswich forward’s condition, Maresca said: ‘Liam Delap is expected to be out for six to eight weeks because of this type of injury.’
He later added: ‘Liam’s injury doesn’t look good, it was a full-speed hamstring, that will require weeks.
‘In terms of another striker, we will see if we take any decisions.’
Chelsea’s forward options are limited as a result of the decision to allow Nicolas Jackson to join Bayern Munich.
The Senegal international was photographed aboard a private plane on Saturday ahead of his loan move to the German champions and it appears as though cancelling that move is not an option.
‘I just finished the game, came here and have no idea,’ said Maresca when asked if a Jackson U-turn was possible. ‘We’re going to sit now and we’ll see. Honestly, I have no idea.’
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