Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
