Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals 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) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score 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 sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."