🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues Liam Delap registered his sole strike for Chelsea at the global competition during the warm season Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea. The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar". Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month. Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's return is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this season. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea this off-season for a total £85 million Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team. Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings 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 been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed 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 queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker." Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run. Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month. Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching youth product Tyrique George. Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches. After thirteen games in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals. Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season." Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz was goalless while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back. But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup. "In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."