Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated 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 digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
