Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's return is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit 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 secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
