Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues

Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's return is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete 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 West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• 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) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

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

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."