Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Striker Issues

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

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

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

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

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