Chelsea were embarrassed at Stamford Bridge by Sunderland on Saturday, and pundit Paul Merson believes they are really missing one of their key players in the starting side.
Enzo Maresca’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat against the recently promoted side despite naming the likes of Reece James, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the starting side.
Cole Palmer remains out of the picture due to an ongoing groin issue which has impacted him throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
The England international’s goals and creativity have been severely lacking in recent weeks at Stamford Bridge, however Liam Delap’s absence has been missed too.
Liam Delap and Trevoh Chalobah in action during Chelsea training session
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Paul Merson says Chelsea are really missing Liam Delap
Joao Pedro has played the bulk of minutes in the striker role, however clearly looks like he will have more of an impact on the game from a deeper position.
Merson believes Chelsea are desperately missing the presence of Delap, noting how Marc Guiu did not take his chance in his first Premier League start for the Blues against Sunderland.
He said to Sky Sports: “They [Chelsea] need Delap back badly, they need a focal point. Guiu played up front and I think he touched the ball nine, 10 times. You can’t do that in a team that are supposed to be dominating the ball.”
The English striker has been missing since going off injured early against Fulham in the third game of the season, after single-handedly dominating the West Ham defence just a week earlier.
Enzo Maresca looks on during Chelsea vs Sunderland
Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images
Liam Delap closing in on Chelsea return
Despite now missing nearly two months of action, it is not going to be long until the forward is back in action for his new club.
Maresca has confirmed that Delap has trained again with the first team at Cobham, and although he wasn’t ready to face Sunderland his return is imminent.
The EFL Cup tie against Wolves is likely still to be used as an opportunity to rest the striker, however the league game against Tottenham looks the perfect time to bring him back in the fold.
Despite their indifferent start to the campaign, games against their London rivals mean more to Chelsea fans, and having their best striker available is going to be crucial to their chances.