ENZO MARESCA WORRIES: LIAM DELAP'S SHOULDER INJURY SIDELINED FOR SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS
Delap's setback leaves Chelsea thin at No. 9. The young striker will use his recovery time to learn Maresca's system, having previously worked with him at Man City.
Liam Delap is set to miss six to eight weeks because of an injury he picked up against Bournemouth. The summer buy from Ipswich Town had to leave early during the 0-0 draw.
The 22-year-old seemed to hurt his shoulder in a collision with Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi. He left the field with his arm in a sling, and Marc Guiu took his place.
Delap, who also had a hamstring injury in the win over Fulham earlier this season, might not be back until February, according to injury predictions. talkSPORT says the ex-Manchester City player will likely be out for about two months.
This is another setback for Delap, who's had a hard time getting consistent playing time since his £30 million move from Portman Road. The England U21 player was starting to find his form when he scored the third goal in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League.
Apart from the Club World Cup, his goal against Barcelona was his first for the UEFA Conference League winners. He's only played in eight Premier League games this season.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said he was worried about the injury after the game. When asked about Delap, he said, "He was already out for two months, and now he has to be out again." We don't know how long, but it doesn't look good for his shoulder.
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Delap's chances at Chelsea have been limited due to injuries, competition, or discipline. A hamstring issue against Fulham kept him out for two months.
His return in October didn't go well when he got two quick yellow cards for challenges on Yerson Mosquera and Emmanuel Agbadou in a Carabao Cup game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Maresca called the incidents very stupid and embarrassing. Delap apologised to his teammates publicly and privately.
While he recovers, Delap can now study what Maresca wants from him on the field. They worked together before in Manchester City's under-21 title-winning team in 2020-21.
Talking about Delap's problems last month, the Chelsea coach said, "Liam is a number nine who needs space to attack." Against teams that sit back, it's harder because there's no space.
The striker was almost a direct replacement for Nicolas Jackson, who went on loan to Bayern Munich. He's also facing competition from Joao Pedro, who also joined in the summer.
Maresca even played Pedro Neto as a striker in the win over Barcelona, even though he had Pedro and Delap available.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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