Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
