Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said 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 drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, 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 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."