Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's return is vital for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored 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 presently require to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. 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 potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores 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 scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."