Delap Returns as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
