Chelsea striker out of action for 10 to 12 weeks

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that striker Liam Delap could be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks following his hamstring injury against Fulham before the international break.

The Englishman suffered the setback in the opening half against the Cottagers and he has now been ruled out for most of the year.

Speaking in today's press conference, Maresca was asked about a possible timescale and he replied saying '10 to 12 weeks'.

Chelsea tried to pursue a new striker after Delap's setback, but they could not find a suitable solution before the transfer deadline.

They attempted to block Nicolas Jackson's loan move to Bayern Munich, but eventually permitted him to make the switch.

The Blues recalled Marc Guiu instead from his season-long loan at Sunderland to provide cover for the injured Delap.

In Delap's absence, the Blues are now overly reliant on Joao Pedro for the centre-forward role and can't afford him to get injured.

His workload needs to be carefully managed in the coming months.