Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists 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 stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
