Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
