Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is important for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only 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 shared top goalscorers with four.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
