Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
