Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- 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) - no goals in 20 games
A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
