Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their attackers 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 next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
