Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error 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.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a digit that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
