Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."
"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 get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [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 shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."
