🔗 Share this article

Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

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

Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."