Delap Returns as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's return is important for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine 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 alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals 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 goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "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 kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
