Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is without a goal this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
