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Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions 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 picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's return is vital for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
Brian Hernandez
A passionate writer and shopping enthusiast with a keen eye for quality products and lifestyle trends.
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