Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is important for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, 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 runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- 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 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
