Before facing Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca revealed that he did not know when Delap would return after he was pulled off the pitch against Bournemouth last week.
“Liam, fortunately, there is no fracture, which is good news,” Maresca said in his pre-match press conference. “In terms of how long he will be out, we are not sure at this stage to be honest.”
It was suggested that the shoulder injury could rule him out until the end of January in what would have been a crushing blow for Maresca’s side, who are already toothless in attack.
However, as reported by the Daily Mail and The Standard, Delap could return in just 4 weeks time which would provide a huge boost for Chelsea who reportedly considered bringing in Emmanuel Emegha earlier than expected from Strasbourg which may have hurt his development.
Having already been sidelined earlier this season with a hamstring problem, this is a cruel blow for Delap, who has 0 Premier League goals for the Blues since joining the side.
Delap moved to west London for £30M in the summer from Ipswich Town and has since flew below the radar in West London despite his poor performances.
The England striker should be back early in the new year after the Christmas break, where he must bounce back or face calls for him to leave the club as goals continue to evade him.