Maresca's options suddenly very limited
- Published
Although the 74 FA charges imposed on Chelsea were on the minds of some, selection issues will trouble manager Enzo Maresca much more.
Star attacker Cole Palmer has only partially trained, while Maresca fears striker Delap is out for as long as "10 to 12 weeks".
The club estimate remains that Delap could be back in November, with a view to being ready for a busy festive fixture period in December.
Chelsea also lost midfielder Dario Essugo during the international break for up to four months, while Brazilians Joao Pedro, Andrey Santos and Estevao Willian are a doubt for Saturday's game against Brentford after a long trip back from a World Cup qualifier in Bolivia.
Similarly, midfielder Moises Caicedo returned from playing in Ecuador.
All those mentioned are either doubtful or ruled out. It remains unconfirmed how fit any of Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are to face the Bees.
Maresca's options are suddenly very limited, with further trips to Bayern Munich and Manchester United also needing to be kept in mind.