Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Forward Concerns

Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

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

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."