Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is important for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- 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 one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
