Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is important for a side facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- 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): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
