Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker 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 their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed 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: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"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 score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, 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 second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
