Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign 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 failed to score and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- 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 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 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
