Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed confidence that young striker Liam Delap will bounce back stronger after his costly sending-off in the midweek League Cup win over Wolves. The Italian tactician, who did not mince words after the incident, described Delap’s red card as “stupid” but insists the 22-year-old has taken responsibility and learned from his mistake.
Delap, who had just returned to action following an injury layoff, came off the bench at Molineux only to receive two yellow cards within seven minutes, leaving his team a man short. Despite the setback, Chelsea managed to hold on for a thrilling 4-3 victory to progress to the next round. However, the incident means Delap will miss Saturday’s crucial Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur through suspension.
Speaking ahead of the derby, Maresca revealed that Delap immediately apologised to his teammates after the match. “Straight after the game, in the changing room, he apologised to everyone,” Maresca said. “I spoke with Liam, he knows everything, he’s aware of the situation, he knows that he made a mistake. Full stop. No more than that.”
The Chelsea boss clarified his post-match comments that appeared to suggest Delap “plays for himself”, saying it was a mistranslation. He explained that the young striker tends to focus too much on physical duels with defenders rather than overall team play. “Liam, on the pitch, is more focused on his battle with the central defender than the rest. This was what I was trying to say after the Wolves game,” he added.
Maresca remains confident that Delap, who joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town for £30 million in June and has scored just once so far, will develop into a key player. “I know that Liam will be a fantastic player for us, but there are some things, like the rest, that he needs to improve,” the coach noted.
Disciplinary issues have become a recurring problem for Chelsea this season, with the team receiving five red cards in their last nine games. Maresca himself was sent off earlier this month for over-celebrating a late winner against Liverpool. “We are trying to do everything to avoid these kinds of situations. Hopefully we can learn and be better in the future,” he said.
Chelsea currently sit ninth in the Premier League, three points behind third-placed Tottenham, ahead of their trip to north London.
