Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, 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 the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
