Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is important for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
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 assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed 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 questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
