Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems

Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

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

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

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

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals 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) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.

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