Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, 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 Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their attackers 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 December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- 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 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
