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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.

Enzo Maresca Worries: Liam Delap's Shoulder Injury Sidelined for Six to Eight Weeks
£30M Delap Facing Two Months Out Until February

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.

WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS

Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.

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Managing Cole Palmer’s return

After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.

Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.

Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.

Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.

The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.

Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.

Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.

He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.

Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.

Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.

There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.

Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.

It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.

He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.

BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE

Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.

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Chelsea's winless run continues as Maresca falls ill

Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.

The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.

So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.

Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.

After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.

Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.

"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.

The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.

Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.

Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.

About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."

But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.

Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.

But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.

Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.

But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.

After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.

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