Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns

Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

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

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who sported 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 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A central player and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

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

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."