Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is important for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete 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 various goalscorers in the first division this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who sported 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 fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse 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 questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."