Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and squad members 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 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal 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 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 defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."