Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems

Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

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 goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score 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 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

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

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."