Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
