Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is crucial for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"In the final analysis 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."
