Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- 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 twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."