Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems

Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is important for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated 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 conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially 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 score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not anticipated to feature 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 assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

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

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