Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues

Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

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

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, 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) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

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

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."