Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Look to Address Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators 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 at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers 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 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said 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 attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
