Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, 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 fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members 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 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A midfielder and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
