Delap Returns as The Blues Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten games. 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, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- 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): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest 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 curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
