Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the summer signing's return is important for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, 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 every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
- 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) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
