Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [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 uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
