🔗 Share this article

Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

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

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

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

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

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

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A engine room operator and defender 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 excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the curse. "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 kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."