Delap Back in Action as The Blues Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's return is important for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A midfielder and defender are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
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 shirt. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
