Delap, Estevao & more - Chelsea injury news ahead of Newcastle United Premier League clash

The Blues fans will be relieved with some positive injury news ahead of the New Year.

Estevao Willian and Liam Delap are both soon expected to make a comeback from injury, according to Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca.

Delap sustained a shoulder injury against AFC Bournemouth at the beginning of this month. Early indications suggested that the forward might not return to action until the end of January 2026.

Estevao, meanwhile, was conspicuously omitted from the team that played Cardiff City in the EFL Cup quarterfinals earlier this week.

Following the 3-1 triumph in South Wales, Maresca declared that the Brazil international would undoubtedly miss Saturday’s Premier League match against Newcastle United.

Maresca, however, stated that the two will be available by the end of the year during a press conference on Friday.

What exactly did Enzo Maresca say? Find out.

The Italian coach briefed reporters about Chelsea’s injury situation:

“We are good, yeah. The ones that we left out for Cardiff, they are okay.

“We have probably Liam Delap and Estevao Willian, probably both available for next game against Aston Villa. That is good news. And then Romeo [Lavia] is still out. Levi [Colwill] is still out.

When asked whether he was surprised by Delap’s potential quick return, Maresca added:

“Yeah. We said since his injury that we don’t know exactly, we didn’t know exactly for how long, but he’s progressing very well.”

Midfielder Dario Essugo, who recently experienced a setback in his attempt to recover from thigh surgery performed in September, will also be available for the Villa game.

After resting on Tuesday night, players like Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, and Enzo Fernandez will have another much-needed period of recuperation when they return to London.

However, it is conceivable that Estevao and Delap may try to rejoin the team as soon as possible, given the Blues’ lacklustre performance in the last third.

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