Chelsea are facing an injury crisis with seven players unavailable, including Delap, Essugo, Colwill and Badiashile. Cole Palmer may return in time for the Champions League clash with Benfica on September 30.
Chelsea have collected seven points from their opening three Premier League matches, a solid start that has given new head coach Enzo Maresca some breathing space in the early weeks of the season.
However, beneath the surface, the club is facing a serious crisis of availability. The Blues have been heavily affected by physical problems, and the situation shows no signs of easing ahead of a demanding calendar that includes domestic fixtures and a key Champions League clash with Benfica on September 30.
In his pre-match press conference before tonight’s visit to Brentford, Maresca confirmed some of the worst news yet. Striker Liam Delap, who had impressed in pre-season and was seen as a valuable rotation option in attack, has been ruled out for between two and three months. His absence will deprive Chelsea of depth up front at a time when goals will be crucial to maintain momentum. Portuguese midfielder Dário Essugo, who joined the club as a highly rated prospect, is also out for a similar period after sustaining an injury while representing Portugal’s Under-21 national team.
The two latest setbacks add to an already crowded injury list. In total, seven players are currently unavailable for selection, forcing Maresca to make constant adjustments to his squad. Defenders Benoît Badiashile and Roméo Lavia are still recovering from long-term problems and are unlikely to feature anytime soon. Levi Colwill, one of the brightest young defenders in the squad, suffered a ligament rupture during pre-season and will miss several months of action. Meanwhile, winger Mykhailo Mudryk is unavailable not through injury but due to a suspension, as he is currently serving a ban for a doping violation.
The accumulation of absences is a serious concern for Chelsea, not only because it limits tactical flexibility but also because it increases the risk of overloading the few players who are fit. Maresca has insisted that the club needs to be patient, but privately he will know that the coming weeks could define how competitive Chelsea will be both in the Premier League and in Europe this season.
There is at least one piece of encouraging news. Cole Palmer, one of the team’s most influential attacking players, could return just in time for the high-stakes clash with Benfica. The England international has been out for three weeks but managed to take part in his first training session since the injury on Wednesday. If his recovery continues without complications, he may feature against the Portuguese side at Stamford Bridge in what is already shaping up to be a decisive match in Chelsea’s Champions League campaign.
The timing of the Benfica fixture makes the current injury crisis even more problematic. The Portuguese champions are in strong form and represent one of the toughest opponents in the group stage. Playing them without several key figures could place Chelsea under severe pressure, particularly if they are unable to secure points against Brentford and in their other league matches leading up to the European showdown.
For Maresca, who is still in the early months of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, this represents a huge test of his ability to adapt. He has already spoken about the importance of building a resilient squad culture and finding solutions from within the academy when necessary. Chelsea’s youth system has long been one of the most productive in Europe, and it is likely that several youngsters will be called upon to fill gaps in the first-team squad during this difficult period.
The injuries also highlight a broader concern about the physical demands placed on modern footballers. Between intense domestic calendars, extended international commitments, and the ever-growing pressure of European competition, players are often pushed to their limits. Chelsea are far from alone in facing these problems, but the concentration of setbacks at this stage of the season could have significant consequences for their campaign.
As the Blues prepare to face Brentford tonight, the immediate goal will be to secure three points and maintain their solid league start despite the adversity. Yet everyone at the club will already be looking ahead to the end of the month, when Benfica arrive at Stamford Bridge. By then, Maresca will hope that at least one or two of his absentees are closer to returning, with Palmer’s availability potentially decisive. Until then, Chelsea remain on red alert, with their depth and resilience under scrutiny at the highest level.
