Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is important for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
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 USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"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."
