Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's return is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- 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): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
