Delap Returns as The Blues Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
