Delap Returns as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one goal contribution 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, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
