Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A midfielder and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."