Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, 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 score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes 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 entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A midfielder and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
