Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's return is vital for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- 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) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
