Liam Delap is set to miss up to eight weeks with a shoulder injury, talkSPORT understands.
The Chelsea striker tore his shoulder ligaments during Saturday's goalless draw with Bournemouth.
Liam Delap of Chelsea is treated for a shoulder injury during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Chelsea at Vitality Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Bournemouth, England.
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Delap has been ruled out for up to eight weeks with torn shoulder ligamentsCredit: Getty
Delap was forced off after 32 minutes against the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium.
The forward was subsequently replaced by Marc Guiu for Enzo Maresca's side.
He is now expected to be out until at least the new year as a result.
Delap will miss six to eight weeks due to the shoulder injury, potentially keeping him out until the end of January.
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It means he could be unavailable for up to 13 matches for Chelsea over the coming weeks.
Those include the Blues' Champions League clashes with Atalanta, Pafos and Napoli.
Chelsea also face Cardiff in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on December 16.
Maresca had been asked about the severity of Delap's injury after the draw at Bournemouth.
The Italian explained: "Unfortunately he was already out for two months and he has to be out again.
"We don't know for how long, but it looks quite bad, his shoulder."
Reece James ad Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea check on Liam Delap of Chelsea as he holds his shoulder during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Chelsea at Vitality Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Bournemouth, England.
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Delap could miss up to 13 matches for Chelsea during his latest injury lay-offCredit: Getty
The 22-year-old is the latest player to join Chelsea's growing injury list.
Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo have already been sidelined until January.
Meanwhile, Levi Colwill is out for the season after surgery on an ACL injury in the summer.
Maresca is also currently without Moises Caicedo in the Premier League due to suspension after his red card against Arsenal.
It is another blow for Delap, though, having previously missed two months of the season with a hamstring injury.
The former England under-21 international was absent for 10 matches between August and October as a result of the issue.
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Enzo Maresca manager / head coach of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Chelsea at Vitality Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Bournemouth, England.
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Maresca was forced to take Delap off during the first half of Saturday's draw at BournemouthCredit: Getty
Delap has been limited to just 11 appearances and one goal for Chelsea across all competitions this season due to his injuries.
It follows his £30million move from Ipswich in the summer following their relegation to the Championship.