Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
