Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's comeback 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 term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
