🔗 Share this article

Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's return is important for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

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

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

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

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.

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

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. 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."