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EPL Liam Delap is yet to announce himself properly at Stamford Bridge and, for now, that is how things will stay. That is not a criticism of Delap. The 22-year-old cannot be accused of dragging his heels: he made his Chelsea debut at the Club World Cup less than two weeks after joining from Ipswich Town, going on to play in six games at the tournament, score once and assist once, and collect his winner’s medal. Advertisement But that was on the other side of the Atlantic, out of sight of the Stamford Bridge faithful. He has not yet made his new club his own. He had little chance to do so in a cameo as a substitute against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend, and his next home appearance, against Fulham, lasted less than 15 minutes before he limped off with a hamstring injury. The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the England international does not need surgery, but Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca told reporters on Friday that the centre-forward is expected to be out for 10-12 weeks, so has “a long way to go” in his rehabilitation. The timing is cruel. Delap has waited for his opportunity with a top club: he watched his former Manchester City academy team-mate Cole Palmer competing for European qualification while he was shouldering the goalscoring burden in an Ipswich team bound for relegation. After standing out with 12 Premier League goals last term, his first season in the top flight, he was courted by numerous Premier League teams and took on the mantle of starting centre-forward at one of the country’s biggest clubs. At Chelsea, Delap was hoping to spend the coming weeks learning the ropes of Champions League football. Instead, the most valuable lesson his new club can teach him is patience. “He will be desperate, no doubt, to push that process and get back as soon as possible, ” says former Watford, Reading, and Norwich City physiotherapist Luke Anthony. “But with a hamstring, if you get that wrong and (the player) re-injures, then you're looking at missing another two or three months. ” There are particular risks around Delap’s potential for re-injury. As Anthony explains, young players who have not previously experienced a certain type of injury — such as a hamstring tear — might be lulled into a false sense of security that draws them back to action too soon. Delap has no recorded history of hamstring or soft-tissue problems, making this new territory. Advertisement “Once you're about three-quarters of the way through the process, you should feel good and feel like you're back to normal, ” says Anthony. “But (young players) maybe don't have that experience to say: ‘Actually, I understand that I've got to get this last bit of work done, I've got to really cross the T's, dot the I's, before I get back into it’. “That’s where the staff around the process, medical staff, mostly the coaching staff, performance staff, and the manager, are key to making sure you manage that process dispassionately. “Injuries are very emotional things. There’s a lot at stake for different people. But if you just go on what the player tells you, then that's only a small part of the picture, and you could well get that wrong. ” Players increasingly understand that it is in their interest to prevent re-injury, Anthony says, with an increased focus on injury history in recruitment processes. Delap will know the importance of patience — but that does not mean it will be easy to accept. “He has signed for a huge Premier League club, he's going to have a bunch of objectives, ” says sports psychologist Dan Abrahams. “He wants to hit the ground running, get in the team, stay in the team, win games. “Suddenly, because of his injury, all these dreams and goals have been hampered. “This is where a multidisciplinary team is so important. This is where the sports psychologist gets involved with the medical team, because the team can help Delay see and understand the medical evidence, so that they can weave an effective story. “What you're trying to do is help him think rationally about his situation. His brain and body want to send him impatient thoughts: ‘I have to get back and prove myself’. It's trying to help him use his self-talk to weave a story of intelligence, integrity, patience — one that is evidence-driven. ‘I am young, I've got a long career ahead, what I don't want to do is damage this further’. ” Former Liverpool physiotherapist Andy Renshaw says winning a player’s trust in the rehabilitation process is key. Advertisement “You can do that by explaining it and giving them a little bit of education: 'There's our table of these injuries in the past, that's how long they've been', " he says. "Have you got anyone else — any of your friends or any other players that you know — who have been through this injury that you'd want to speak to? Just give them the benefit of experience from other people they might trust. ” To that end, the Chelsea forward could speak to his father, Rory, whose 19-year professional career took in spells at seven clubs. Delap Snr has plenty of experience with injuries striking at inopportune moments. An ankle problem ruled him out of Southampton's appearance at the 2003 FA Cup final. On his home debut for Stoke City on loan in October 2006 — against parent club Sunderland — he broke his leg in two places, ruling him out for the rest of the season. His son is not facing anything like that length of layoff, but the two can empathise over the disappointment of an injury derailing their chance to hit the ground running. After returning to Stoke in the 2007-08 season, Rory Delap went on to play for the club until 2013, helping them reach and stay in the Premier League. The Chelsea forward has had his own setbacks to draw upon. He dealt with ankle ligament problems at Manchester City in the 2021-22 season and a knee injury while on loan at Hull in 2023-24. He then remained fit throughout his Premier League campaign with Ipswich. “I’ve managed to focus and work hard and, importantly, not rush things, ” he told The National in 2022 after suffering that ankle ligament issue at City. “I am still so young and had to make sure the injuries healed properly so there are no issues later in my career. Patience has obviously been key. " “Talent development pathways are becoming quite sophisticated, ” adds Abrahams. “They know that roadblocks and speed bumps — challenging times put in the way of young players — are important. No doubt he's had tough moments where he's had to weave a narrative when it's been challenging to do so. ” Delap’s situation is far from ideal, but he has the chance to use this setback to create a potent narrative of resilience. (Top photo: Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Cerys joined The Athletic in summer 2025 after studying journalism at the University of Sheffield. Alongside her degree, she has reported extensively on men’s and women’s football and is now The Athletic’s first UK intern. Follow Cerys on Twitter @reallycerys