🔗 Share this article

Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's return is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with wider issues beyond their forwards 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 December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, 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 for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

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

"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."