Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a side facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
