Chelsea have been handed a potential injury boost on Liam Delap and he could return ahead of schedule.
The Englishman sustained a shoulder injury against Leeds United last weekend and it was initially predicted that he had suffered a dislocation.
Delap was anticipated to miss up to eight weeks of first-team action, but reports now claim that he may not be sidelined for more than a month.
The former Ipswich Town ace has not suffered any fracture or dislocation to his shoulder. He could return to action shortly after the New Year.
The news is a massive boost for the Blues. Delap is the club's best striking option in the squad compared to Joao Pedro and Marc Guiu.
Chelsea have recently suffered a slump with three winless league games and now face a daunting challenge against Atalanta on the road.
The west London giants have picked up 10 points from their opening five games in the league phase of the Champions League.