Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in various cups no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
