Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
