Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's return is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, 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) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
