Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and key passes 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 last month.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores 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 defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A central player and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."