Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £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 matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- 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 strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- 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) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while famous attackers 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 number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
