Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
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 excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned 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 digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
