Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns

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

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the young striker will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's return is vital for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.

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

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until December.

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

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• 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 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

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