Enzo Maresca brings his side to St James' Park in less than two weeks
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca
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The run up to Christmas is a hugely important time for Newcastle United. Eddie Howe's men are beginning to pick up important wins and climb the Premier League table as they look to bounce back from an indifferent start to the season.
The coming weeks bring some huge fixtures for the Magpies, not least Sunday's Wear-Tyne derby against arch-rivals Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
However, there are more key Premier League fixtures ahead, with a visit to Manchester United on Boxing Day following what will be a crucial home fixture against Chelsea just days before Christmas.
The table is incredibly tight after a season which has seen many sides struggle for consistency, and as things stand, United are just four points behind Chelsea in fourth spot, despite what many consider to be an under-par first three months of the campaign.
However, Chelsea will head to St James' Park, where they don't have the best recent record, without some key players, and with manager Enzo Maresca seeing another star added to their injury list.
Striker Liam Delap is facing another spell out of action after injuring his shoulder in the Blues' goalless draw with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
The former Newcastle transfer target went down in the 30th minute after grappling with defender Marcus Senesi at a corner and left the pitch using his shirt as a makeshift sling.
A groin injury sustained playing against Fulham in August has already cost Delap two months of his debut season in blue following his £30million move from Ipswich in the summer, and he is yet to score his first Premier League goal for his new side.
"He was already out two months and he has to be out again," said Maresca. "We don't know for how long but it looks quite bad, his shoulder.
"He has been unlucky. We are a bit unlucky because we need that kind of number nine. We tried today it with Marc (Guiu)."
Chelsea are already without defender Levi Colwill, who will miss the whole season after ACL surgery, while midfielder Romeo Lavia is out until the new year with a thigh problem.
However Moises Caicedo can make his return from suspension against Newcastle, with his three-match ban following a red card against Arsenal, ending when Chelsea face Everton next weekend.
Maresca was left to rue his side's poor finishing in the final third at Bournemouth, adding: "We missed some quality in the last third," said Maresca. "Many mistakes, missed passes in the last third, moments where we could shoot.
"It's normal mistakes that can happen, the last pass in the last third. Cole was quite good on that, he played an hour today. It's important for him to build physical condition.
"A lack of quality in the last third but we know that we're not going to score every game"