🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the Club World Cup during the summer months Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea. The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar". Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month. Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term. Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro Delap (left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this summer transfer window for a total £85 million Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully". When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this division." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland." Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a groin injury until next month. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches. After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes. Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last season." Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who wore 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 fifty-eight matches Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey. But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament. "At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."