Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes 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 ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
