Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's return is vital for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, 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 "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in 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 a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
