Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments 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 attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below expensive recruit 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 America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues 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 followers believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a digit that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
