🔗 Share this article Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the Club World Cup during summer Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard". Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer. Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season. Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this off-season for a combined £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason. Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls. More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded". When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month. Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures. After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four. Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign." Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while wearing the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, 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 scores in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches A central player 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 asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup. "At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."