Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."