Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since arriving 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 Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
