Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures 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 recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward 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 term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals 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) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- 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 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
