Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the new recruit's return is important for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this league."
"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 get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 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 in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."