Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "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 kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
