The latest injury news as Chelsea face Aston Villa in the Premier Leagueplaceholder image
The latest injury news as Chelsea face Aston Villa in the Premier League | Getty Images/ Canva
The latest Premier League injury updates from Chelsea as two absentees push for a comeback against high-flying Aston Villa
It’s third against fourth in the Premier League this weekend as Chelsea play host to a red-hot Aston Villa side at Stamford Bridge. The Blues came back from two goals down to secure a commendable 2-2 draw against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park, holding on to fourth place at Christmas in the process, but now face strong pressure from a resurgent Liverpool who are creeping up the table after winning three of their last five matches.
Chelsea had ambitions of challenging for the title at the start of the campaign, but have recently experienced a dip which has seen them win just one of their last five league matches. They are currently trailing third placed Aston Villa by seven points, and will need to be at their best to secure a positive result against a team that have recorded their best run in more than a century, after winning a whopping ten games on the bounce across all competitions.
The Blues welcomed back Moises Caicedo to the midfield during their recent draw with Newcastle following the Ecuador international’s suspension, while they are also beginning to get more minutes out of Cole Palmer after a frustrating injury hit start for their talisman. Enzo Maresca has missed a number of his key players in recent weeks but could introduce two stars back into the fray at Stamford Bridge this weekend after layoffs.
Here we round up the latest injury news involving Chelsea ahead of what has the potential to be one of the standout fixtures of this season’s festive schedule:
Will Liam Delap play against Aston Villa?
Big summer signing Liam Delap has missed the last four matches across all competitions with a shoulder injury that he sustained against Bournemouth at the start of the month. It was the latest setback in a frustrating start to life at Stamford Bridge for the former Ipswich Town striker, who also missed six matches with a hamstring problem earlier in the campaign.
However, Delap’s latest problem is not thought to be as bad as initially feared, meaning he could be in contention for a return to the team in some capacity against Aston Villa. Enzo Maresca told reporters: “Liam [is] probably available for Aston Villa. We said since his injury, we didn't know exactly for how long, but he is progressing well.”
Delap is yet to score in eight league appearances for the Blues this term. His only goal across competitions came in the Champions League during an emphatic 3-0 triumph over La Liga champions Barcelona.
Romeo Lavia injury latest as Estevao pushes for comeback
Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia remains on the sidelines with a muscle injury which is expected to keep him out until the New Year. The Belgium international has struggled with numerous issues since making the move from Southampton but is edging closer to full fitness and could be named on the bench against Manchester City on 4 January.
Estevao is closer in his recovery. The Brazilian teenager is in a similar position to Delap and could be included in the squad to face Aston Villa at the weekend as he pushes to make a return from a muscle injury.
The same, however, cannot be said for Dario Essugo. He’s still waiting for his Premier League debut after arriving from Las Palmas and hasn’t been named in the squad since matchday three due to injury. The extent of the Portuguese youngster’s injury still remains largely unknown and a return date hasn’t been determined by the football club.
Academy graduate Levi Colwill is expected to miss most the season with a serious ACL injury which jeopardises his hopes of a World Cup squad place with England, while Mykhailo Mudryk remains a long-term absentee as well as he continues to serve a ban for allegedly breaching Anti-Doping Rule Violations.
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