With fixtures piling up Enzo Maresca has his work cut out for him to rotate his squad to compete on all fronts. With fitness already something to keep in mind, he will now have to deal with some new problems as different reports indicate that two of the starters from the 0-0 draw with Bournemouth are unavailable for the midweek tie with Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League.
Two Chelsea Starters to Miss Atalanta Fixture
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### Liam Delap
One of the more obvious ones, the former Ipswich Town man went off against the Cherries and was next seen with his arm in a sling following a bad fall on his shoulder. According to a report from [Alex Crook](https://x.com/AbsoluteChelsea/status/1997721329135669448), the Blues might be without the striker for as many as eight weeks, with six weeks expected to be the minimum recovery time for the Englishman.
**Read More:** [Chelsea vs Bournemouth Confirmed Lineups for December 6](https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2025/12/06/chelsea-vs-bournemouth-confirmed-lineups-december/)
This will put some further pressure on the team’s attackers to score, with Joao Pedro being one of the few central attackers fit to play regularly. The onus will now fall on him and Marc Guiu to fill the number nine spot over a busy December/January run.
\*turn over to page 2 for the next name ruled out\*