Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below ÂŁ55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - 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, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with wider issues beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential ÂŁ52 million deal, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a ÂŁ40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to ÂŁ51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, 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 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
