Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Seek to Fix Attacking Problems

Striker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• 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 strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike 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 record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."