Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores 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) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."
