Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was second to £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 appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist 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 entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "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 uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."