Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Forward Concerns

Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly 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 create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

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

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