Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available 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 last month.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.
Winger 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 £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
