Liam Delap
The striker is set for another extended spell on the sidelines this season, after suffering a shoulder injury against Bournemouth earlier in December.
Chelsea are hopeful that Delap will have recovered inside four weeks, with the injury not as bad as first feared.
Asked for an updated return timeline on Friday, Maresca said: “We don’t know yet [how long he will be out for].
“It can be still two, three, four weeks. We don’t know exactly how many days he needs.”
Potential return date: Early January 2026
Dario Essugo
Dario Essugo is not expected to return before the end of the year.
The summer signing’s start was hampered by a thigh problem suffered in September, and then a return to training in November was cut short in which was thought to be a setback.
But Maresca has last week confirmed that Essugo has picked up a separate issue.
Asked for an updated timeline for his return, Maresca said: “I don’t know. I don’t have information. I know that he’s better.
“It’s not the same injury that he had in the past. It’s something small and it will be a short time.”
Romeo Lavia
Romeo Lavia ‘s injury woes continue for Chelsea, with his latest setback coming against Qarabag in the Champions League on November 5.
Enzo Maresca has recently delivered a rather concerning update regarding the midfielder.
“It’s a muscle problem,” Maresca said earlier in December. “We don’t know yet when he can be back.”
Pushed on whether Lavia is expected to be a short-term or long-term absentee, Maresca replied: “We don’t know.”
Injury issues have restricted Lavia to just 29 appearances since his £53million move from Southampton in the summer of 2023.
Levi Colwill
Levi Colwill will miss most of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
A devastating injury in a World Cup year, the defender suffered the blow shortly after Chelsea returned for pre-season training at Cobham in August, days after winning the Club World Cup.
Colwill underwent surgery soon after and is expected to be sidelined for much of the campaign.
