Delap Back in Action as The Blues Look to Address Forward Concerns

Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their attackers 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 next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes 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) - zero strikes in 20 games

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."