Delap Returns as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems

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

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of securing honors this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

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

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist 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, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."