Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed striker Liam Delap is on the cusp of making his long-awaited return to training.
Delap, a £30 million ($40.1 million) summer signing from Ipswich Town, picked up a hamstring injury in August which Maresca confidently predicted would sideline the 22-year-old for at least two months.
That timeline is not far off as the former Leicester City boss revealed on Tuesday that Delap is one step away from being introduced back into team training.
“Liam is very close, he is not working with us yet, he is still out, but hopefully he can start in the next days [to] take part in the session with us,” Maresca told a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Ajax.
Delap’s impending return will come as a huge boost to a Chelsea side which is once again struggling for goals from central positions.
João Pedro, another summer signing, has not scored since the same game in which Delap went off injured, with the Englishman’s absence a potential explanation as the two players appeared to have struck up a swift rapport.
Delap, who is still waiting for his first Premier League goal for his new club, caught the eye early this season with some combative link-up play which allowed Pedro, usually starting in attacking midfield, to contribute both goals and assists. With Delap unavailable, the Brazilian has had to fill in further forwards.
