Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
