Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated 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 questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed 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 a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
