Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Look to Address Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- 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 20 appearances
A engine room operator and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
