Delap Returns as The Blues Aim to Solve Attacking Problems

Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's return is vital for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, 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 every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this season. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."