Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
