Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
