Chelsea have got a timely boost on the injury front. Their head coach, Enzo Maresca, confirmed the return date for both Liam Delap and Estevao Willian.
Delap has been sidelined since earlier this month after suffering a shoulder injury against Bournemouth.
Initial assessments suggested the striker could be out until late January, raising concerns about Chelsea’s attacking depth during a demanding festive schedule.
Meanwhile, Estevao was a surprise omission from the squad that defeated Cardiff City 3-1 in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Maresca later confirmed that the Brazilian would also miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle United.
However, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Chelsea boss delivered far more positive news.
Maresca indicated that both players are progressing faster than expected and could be available before the end of the calendar year. Maresca told reporters:
“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.”
Maresca admitted that Delap’s recovery surprised him because of the uncertainty around his injury. He said:
“We said since his injury that we didn’t know exactly for how long, but he’s progressing very well.”
Chelsea will also benefit from a rare free midweek after their clash at St James’ Park, allowing several key players extra recovery time.
Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez were all rested against Cardiff and will now return refreshed.
With Chelsea continuing to search for consistency in the final third, the potential return of Delap and Estevao could prove significant.
Both are expected to be eased back into action, with the Aston Villa fixture on December 27 likely to come too soon for a starting role.
Instead, Maresca may introduce them from the bench, as Chelsea prepare for a demanding run of four fixtures between December 30 and January 10.
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