The summer signing from Ipswich Town, brought in for £30 million, lasted just 14 minutes before pulling up while chasing a long ball. He immediately signalled to the bench, clutching his right leg, and was replaced by 19-year-old Tyrique George.
Speaking after the match, Maresca described the injury as a “full-speed hamstring” issue that would require several weeks of recovery. The setback comes at a challenging time for Chelsea, who have already allowed Christopher Nkunku to join AC Milan and agreed to loan Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich, leaving Joao Pedro as the only fit senior striker. Maresca admitted the club may need to reassess their attacking options before the transfer window closes, noting that while two strikers are usually sufficient, losing one for an extended period “is probably not enough.”
Despite the injury blow, Chelsea’s win over their west London rivals maintained their unbeaten start to the season, taking them to seven points from their opening three matches.
In the match itself, Joao Pedro opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a composed finish from close range, before Enzo Fernández doubled the lead in the 64th minute with a precise strike from the edge of the box. Fulham struggled to create clear chances, and Chelsea’s defensive organisation ensured a clean sheet to seal the 2-0 result.
Delap’s early exit, however, cast a shadow over an otherwise confident performance, with the 22-year-old now facing a race to return during a crucial phase of the campaign.
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