Chelsea striker Liam Delap could be sidelined until December after sustaining a hamstring injury against Fulham before the international break.
Delap was replaced just 14 minutes into the 2-0 victory over the Cottagers and manager Enzo Maresca said he will be unavailable for 10 to 12 weeks.
The Blues are hopeful the 22-year-old could return in November, offering a boost for the busy festive period, after avoiding the need for surgery.
Delap joined the Blues from Ipswich for £30m in June and has featured in all three games this season.
Chelsea recalled striker Marc Guiu from a loan spell at Sunderland the day after Delap picked up the injury to provide cover amid uncertainty over Nicolas Jackson, who joined Bayern Munich for £70.5m the following day.
Joao Pedro also joined the west London club from Brighton earlier in the summer and is likely to be Maresca’s preferred option to lead the line.
“For us, the only number nine is [Marc] Guiu and Joao [Pedro] can play there, and against Fulham we used Ty [George],” Maresca said.
Delap was Ipswich’s leading scorer last season – registering 12 times in the Premier League – and played 37 times.
Meanwhile, forward Cole Palmer is pushing for a return when Chelsea travel to Brentford on Saturday (20:00 BST).
The England forward missed victories over West Ham and Fulham with a groin injury.
“Cole took part in the session yesterday for the first time, not the entire session,” Maresca 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.
“He is recovering from an injury. When he is available, we need to manage him because of the amount of games.”
Palmer, 23, was a major asset for Chelsea in the final third of last season – scoring 18 goals and laying on 13 assists across all competitions.
‘Not in my hands’ – Maresca on charges
Chelsea have made a positive start to the 2025-26 campaign, picking up seven points from their opening three games, but there was disappointing news off the field on Thursday.
The Football Association charged Chelsea with 74 alleged rule breaches related to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.
The alleged rules breaches, which pre-date Maresca’s arrival at the club, concern agents, intermediaries and third-party investments in players.
“I know from the club that they are satisfied about the process,” Maresca said when asked about the charges.
“Personally, I have nothing to add. I have no idea, to be honest. I want to focus on the pitch, something I can control.
“The rest is not in my hands.”
There are a wide range of options available to sanction Chelsea, including a fine, transfer embargo and points deduction. However, the Blues’ high level of co-operation will be factored in and the club don’t expect to be hit with a sporting sanction.
