Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's return is important for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores 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 twenty matches
A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
