Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is important for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- 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 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
