Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score 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, 18, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
