Delap Returns as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's comeback is crucial for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition 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 outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- 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 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
