Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
