Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's return is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and players 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 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
