The "Blue Lions" Chelsea will host Sunderland at home in the new round of the Premier League. When talking about the team's lineup status, coach Maresca said that Liam Delap is close to returning to the field and there are no new injury problems in the team.

Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the last round of the Premier League thanks to goals from Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James. In addition, Chelsea also beat Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League.

Chelsea currently ranks fifth in the Premier League standings with 14 points, 5 points behind first-placed Arsenal.

The 22-year-old Liam Delap joined Chelsea in June of this year and gave an impressive performance in the 2025 Club World Cup. However, in the Premier League match against Fulham in August, Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury and missed the subsequent game.

Chelsea manager Maresca said, "We have no new injuries. Liam Delap has recovered well and he had his first full training session with the team yesterday. Although he will not participate in the next game, he may return in the next game."

"The timetable for players' return can sometimes change slightly depending on how well they're recovering. We had originally expected him to be back on October 25 and while it's not quite there yet, he's very close to being back. Perhaps he'll be able to play in next week's cup game."

As for Giu's condition, Maresca said, "He is ready to start. Giu is a typical center forward. He is strong and good at running in the penalty area. Of course, he still has room for improvement, and we are helping him improve every day. He will definitely continue to play for us."

In addition, newly promoted Sunderland has achieved an impressive record of 4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses since the beginning of this season as a dark horse, and is currently ranked 7th in the standings with 14 points.

Maresca said, "I think they have shown a very good level since the beginning of the season. They have good tacit understanding and work hard, really like a team. In terms of points, they are even on the same points as us, which shows that they are really very good. This is the Premier League, and no game at this level is easy."

"They played really well and were very strong physically, and I really admired their performance. Our challenge remains the same, to win, but we also need to know that they have the same goal. They will try to create chances and make it difficult for us."