Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes 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 a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes 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 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
