Chelsea striker Liam Delap is approaching a hamstring injury recovery, but the club manager Enzo Maresca has said that the young forward is not quite well enough to play this weekend against Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.
In June, the 22 year old was bought by Chelsea out of Ipswich town to cost them a £30 million ($40.26 million) and made an impression within the first few months before he suffered an injury in the 2-0 victory over Fulham in August. Although he was initially to be sidelined to a maximum of eight weeks, Maresca hinted later that the recovery process could reach to December.
Maresca gave a good news report during his pre-match press conference.
“We don’t have any new injuries. Liam was working with the team most of yesterday, said he. He will never be free to-morrow, perhaps next, though.
The fourth challenge that Chelsea will face after Sunderland will be a League Cup fourth-round match at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, and Maresca did not dismiss the possibility of Delap playing at Wolverhampton.
It is a matter of his development, although he might be prepared to Wolves, he continued.
Without Liam Delap, Marc Guiu who is 19 years old will be at the center stage. His Spanish forward was recalled in mid-season on loan at Sunderland and has just impressed Maresca due to his better attitude and work rate.
Maresca explained that he had a discussion with him a few weeks ago due to the fact that he was not happy with the manner in which he was being trained. “He needed to change, and he did. He has been fantastic since that time.
Guiu, having joined the club last year via Barcelona, is currently pressuring to be given his first game in the premier league.
Chelsea go into the game on Saturday with five consecutive victories in all competitions in their wake, following a 5 goals to 1 win over Ajax Amsterdam in the champions league. However, Maresca cautioned that newly-promoted Sunderland will not be an easy target.
They have been very nice since the beginning of the season, he said. They fun together, they work together and they have the same points as us. They’re showing real quality.”
Sunderland have earned 14 out of the eight games with the French manager Regis Le Bris at the helm, and they are ranked the seventh in the table, only a point behind Liverpool and at par with Chelsea.
Maresca, who worked as a manager in the Championship at Leicester City, commended the style of Sunderland.
This was after the previous season, and he said that he had seen them. They are physically strong and good football players. I admire their manner of doing things.
Chelsea fans will be willing to see Delap again in the near future, but at least, in the meantime, the limelight belongs to Guiu, another young striker who has a promising future.
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