Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Forward Concerns

Forward Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."