Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond 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 groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
