Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned 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 shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
