Chelsea’s Liam Delap nearing return in Blues injury boost | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Liam Delap is back in training and could be available as soon as next week, but Saturday’s match against Sunderland will come too soon for the 22-year-old.

The former Ipswich striker was forced off against Fulham at the end of August with a hamstring injury but has made his return to training with the first team.

He is likely to make his first appearance in two months against Wolves in the EFL Cup next Wednesday and could feature in the Blues’ trip to Tottenham in the Premier League next Saturday.

Maresca said: “We don't have any new injuries. Liam took part in the session with the team yesterday for the first time.

“The schedule can also change a little bit. It depends how they improve or get worse from the first time they send me that but he can be available for that [Wolves].”

The Italian also spoke of the need to manage his young players’ minutes after Brazilian teenager Estevao’s impressive performances in recent weeks, including playing a starring role and scoring a penalty in the 5-1 rout of Ajax this week.

“The balance for me is quite easy in terms of, we have 24 or 25 good players but in the end only 11 can start,” Maresca said. “I know that when they don't play they are not happy but it's not about one, it's about all of them. They also know that they cannot play every game.”

He added that fellow Brazilians Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro were playing a mentoring role for the youngster, “because they have already been in Europe for a different time so they are helping him a lot.

“As a club and a staff, we just try to help him and give him the attention he needs but not just with Estevao, with all the young players that have come from abroad. We said the other day he is a special player. The good thing about him is that he just thinks about football, he enjoys it and he is happy.”

Maresca also praised his team’s mentality in the Ajax game, when captain Enzo Fernandez gave the ball to Estevao to take the penalty. He said: “The main thing about that game is Enzo giving the ball to Estevao because it shows how the team’s togetherness is in this moment. This is what we need if we want to try to do something important.”

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Estevao scored a penalty in Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Ajax (AFP via Getty Images)

Maresca also said he had been disappointed with 19-year-old Marc Guiu, who was recalled from a loan to Sunderland shortly after Delap’s injury, in training.

“I had a chat with Marc two weeks ago, I told him that the way he was training I didn’t like and he needs to change,” he said. “He changed and he got a chance [against Ajax, when he scored his first goal of the season]. Easy like that.”

He did not elaborate on the issue, saying: “He was not training well. In all ways. I don't know [why]. Young players, sometimes you need to go slowly, slowly with them. Since we chatted, he’s top, he’s fantastic, he’s working very good.”

On whether Guiu would return to Sunderland now that Delap is nearing full fitness, he said: “Oh my god. We are in October, I don’t know, I don’t know. In football things can change very quick.”