🔗 Share this article

Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is important for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A midfielder and defender are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."