Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £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 matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."