Delap Returns as The Blues Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals 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) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."