Delap Returns as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems

Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back 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 zero strikes and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games.

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

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• 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 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when asked about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."