🔗 Share this article

Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's availability is important for a club facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A midfielder 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 the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

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