Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."