Delap Back in Action as The Blues Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's return is important for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- 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 strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
