Delap Back in Action as The Blues Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's return is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt 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."