🔗 Share this article

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

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

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

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who wore 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 fifty-eight matches
• 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 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defender are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."