Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's return is vital for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members 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 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- 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 sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."