Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Look to Address Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a side facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A midfielder and defender are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
