Delap Returns as The Blues Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face wider issues beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling 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 season, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
