Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."