Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's return is vital for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."
