Enzo Maresca Reacts to Liam Delap Injury Blow by Claiming Chelsea Only Have One No 9 – and It’s Not Joao Pedro

Chelsea have been dealt a significant injury blow with the news that Liam Delap will be out until December with the hamstring issue he picked up in his last month’s 2-0 win over Fulham.

The 22-year-old striker lasted just 14 minutes at Craven Cottage before being replaced in Chelsea’s final game before the recent international break.

Blues manager Enzo Maresca has now confirmed Delap will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks. The Blues are hopeful Delap may return slightly earlier, with November not ruled out after the forward avoided the need for surgery.

Delap joined Chelsea from Ipswich for £30m in June and had featured in all three league games this season before his setback — as well as scoring once in six appearances at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

He had been Ipswich’s leading scorer last term, netting 12 Premier League goals in 37 appearances.

Delap’s absence comes at a difficult time for Chelsea, who let Nicolas Jackson join Bayern Munich on deadline day.

The club reacted to Delap’s injury and Jackson’s departure by recalling Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland, though the 19-year-old remains untested at the highest level — with just five Premier League appearances to his name — all as a substitute, including three for Chelsea last season.

Enzo Maresca calls Marc Guiu Chelsea’s “only No 9”

Speaking at a press conference on Friday ahead of Chelsea’s weekend clash with Brentford, Maresca made an interesting claim about his attacking options.

“For us, the only No 9 is Guiu, and Joao [Pedro] can play there, and against Fulham we used Ty [George],” the Chelsea boss said.

The remark is striking because Brazilian Pedro, who joined Chelsea from Brighton in July in a deal worth up to £60m, has already featured as a central striker in three of his first five starts for the Blues. He also led the line for Brazil in a 3-0 win over Chile during the recent international break.

However, Pedro is equally comfortable operating wide from the left or dropping into a No 10 role. Maresca’s assessment therefore either suggests that he does not view Pedro as a traditional centre-forward — or he was pointedly highlighting Chelsea’s lack of squad depth.

Chelsea — who have a 16.2% probability of winning the Premier League title, according to a recent study — spent £296.5m during a record-breaking summer transfer window, but ended with a net profit of £17.9m thanks to sales totalling more than £314m. Maresca’s comments hint that he may be keen to reinvest in January if Delap’s recovery does not go as smoothly as hoped.

Is Joao Pedro a No 9 or not?

Pedro is a versatile attacker. He wore the No 9 as his squad number at former club Brighton, but was regularly deployed either as an inside forward from the left or in the No 10 role when Danny Welbeck was also in the team.

However, the Brazilian possesses all the attributes required of a proper centre-forward: pace, strength, intelligent movement and an eye for goal. That is the role he looks set to fulfil for both club and country for the foreseeable future, regardless of Maresca’s comments.

Will Marc Guiu get a chance in Liam Delap’s absence?

Marc Guiu’s loan at Sunderland was cut short just weeks after it began, with Chelsea recalling the teenager shortly after Delap’s injury. That recall suggests Maresca plans to use him in some capacity.

Guiu had only just made his first start for the Black Cats, marking it with a goal in the Carabao Cup against League One side Huddersfield. He also made two Premier League appearances from the bench before being brought back to Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old does at least have some European pedigree. Last season he started six matches in the Europa Conference League for Chelsea, scoring six times — including a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers.

That record underlines his eye for goal, but leading the line consistently in the Premier League will be a far bigger challenge. Whether Maresca truly trusts him as his “only No 9” remains to be seen.

Cole Palmer return could boost Chelsea attack

Chelsea’s attacking concerns may be eased slightly by the imminent return of Cole Palmer. The England international has missed the Blues’ last two matches with a groin problem, but he resumed partial training this week.

Maresca confirmed Palmer will be assessed ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Brentford, with hopes he could feature from the bench.

“Cole took part in the session yesterday for the first time, not the entire session,” the Chelsea manager said. “We have one more session this afternoon and we are going to try with him to see if he’s OK, otherwise he will be out tomorrow.”