Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
