Chelsea teenager to get more opportunities after Liam Delap injury update | OneFootball

Young Chelsea striker Marc Guiu will have the perfect opportunity to prove himself ready for more regular football in the next four weeks after Liam Delap's injury update.

Delap sustained a shoulder injury during Chelsea's defeat to Leeds United last weekend.

While the former Ipswich Town striker did not fracture or dislocate his shoulder, according to BBC Sport, he is expected to be out for around four weeks.

This leaves Enzo Maresca with several striker options for the next month: Joao Pedro, Marc Guiu, Tyrique George, and Pedro Neto.

Joao Pedro is obviously the preferred option, but he cannot play every game throughout Delap's absence, and he will occasionally operate as a number 10, too.

There will be space for Guiu.

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The 19-year-old seems to have jumped ahead of George in the striker pecking order since the conversation with Maresca regarding his training performance back in October.

"He changed. He was not training well - in all the ways," Maresca said about the conversation.

"I don't know, that's why young (players) sometimes they are in one way, the other way, so you need to go slowly, slowly with them.

"But since we chat, it's top, it's fantastic, it's working very good."

To put it into perspective, George has featured just five times since October, while Guiu has made eight appearances in this period, including twice in December.

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Pedro Neto, on the other hand, has only featured as a number nine once this season, against Barcelona, and is Maresca's first-choice right winger option.

This means Guiu will be the player Maresca likely turns to when Joao Pedro needs a rest or plays as a number 10.

Guiu has only had one goal and one assist for Chelsea in all competitions so far, so it is clear that he would need to increase his output if he were to get more chances as a starter.

The BBC Sport report also mentioned that Chelsea are unlikely to enter the transfer market for a striker despite Delap's injury, nor do they plan to recall Nicolas Jackson or bring forward Emmanuel Emegha's transfer from Strasbourg.

It suggests the club are confident in Guiu as the back-up striker, so it is time for him to repay their trust.