Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's return is important for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
