Chelsea not only got a disappointing draw when they faced Bournemouth on Saturday, they also got terrible news when Liam Delap went off injured.
After a heavy fall and a tangle with Marcos Senesi at a corner, the striker looked to have dislocated his shoulder. We predicted a couple of months out, and that’s just what it looks like we’re in for.
Delap set for another spell on the sidelines after upper body injury
According to TalkSport’s Alex Crook, who is rising through the ranks as a well connected person in the game, Delap “faces 6 to 8 weeks out” with the shoulder injury.
If we take the worst case of that, it might be 10 weeks before he’s actually fit to start again – although one would hope that the fact it’s an upper body issue will allow him to train pretty intensely on his own to keep his fitness levels up.
It’s a dreadful blow to Chelsea, who now lose one of their already paltry striker options, but it’s even worse news for Delap. He’s already had a hamstring injury which kept him out for a similar period and seriously seems to have disrupted his integration into the team.
Without him, Joao Pedro is going to have to back up top – and he was struggling in that role before Delap’s initial return. Even with Cole Palmer now back, this is not good news at all.
In other news…
Ricardo Carvalho has been speaking about his time at Chelsea, and in doing so accidentally pointed out a big difference between the teams he played in and the ones Chelsea put out now.
Beyond affairs on the pitch, Chelsea are continuing to target top young players from all over the world. The latest talent is from close to home – Southampton have produced another gem we’ve got our sights on.
