Delap Returns as The Blues Look to Address Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
