Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly 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 traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A central player and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."