Chelsea will hope Liam Delap’s return from injury can ignite their faltering attack as the Blues prepare for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Wolves.
The 22-year-old striker has been sidelined for 10 matches with a hamstring injury sustained during August’s 2-0 Premier League win over Fulham. His comeback arrives at a crucial time for Enzo Maresca’s side, who are struggling for consistency and creativity in front of goal.
Chelsea’s latest setback — a 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland — exposed familiar issues, with Maresca lamenting his team’s “lack of creativity” and poor crossing. The loss leaves the Blues chasing stability in the league, with the domestic cups now their most realistic route to silverware this season.
“It’s important to have Liam back,” Maresca said. “He’ll be phased in gradually. We have to manage him well after this injury, but his return gives us another option.”
Delap joined Chelsea in the summer from Ipswich Town for £30m, fending off interest from Manchester United, Newcastle, and Everton. The England Under-21 striker made a bright start, scoring in the Club World Cup, but has since watched from the sidelines as his teammates toiled.
The Blues also invested £55m in Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, who impressed early with five goals and three assists across his first seven appearances. But Pedro’s form has dipped sharply, with the 22-year-old failing to score in his last seven matches.
“Joao Pedro isn’t a number nine who will score 20 goals a season,” Maresca explained. “He’s a fantastic player who creates and links play, but he’s a different kind of forward to the Lewandowskis and Haalands of this world. Right now, he’s one of three players we need to protect.”
Beyond the number nine position, Chelsea’s wider attacking problems have become increasingly evident. Winger Cole Palmer remains sidelined until December with a groin injury, while big-money arrivals Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho have struggled to make an impact.
Bynoe-Gittens, a £52m signing from Borussia Dortmund, has registered just one assist in 10 games, while Garnacho — brought in from Manchester United for £40m — has one goal in seven appearances. Brazilian teenager Estevao Willian has shown flashes of brilliance since his £51m move from Palmeiras but also has only two goals and one assist to his name.
Chelsea’s lack of cutting edge is underlined by the numbers: after 13 matches in all competitions, no forward has scored more than two goals. Instead, midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo lead the club’s scoring charts with four each.
Maresca insists the responsibility must be collective. “We’ve said many times that our front five or six players each need to contribute six, seven, eight goals a season,” he said. “That’s how we did it last year. Everyone has to share the load.”
Despite their struggles, Chelsea have managed to remain competitive through set-pieces and collective scoring. They are second in the Premier League for goals from dead-ball situations and the first team in the top flight this season to have 10 different scorers.
Still, fans continue to debate whether the club’s long-standing “number nine curse” might be haunting their attack. The shirt — now worn by Delap — has been problematic for several high-profile players, from Fernando Torres and Alvaro Morata to Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Delap, however, is unfazed. “I don’t believe in curses,” he said earlier this season. “It’s just a number. It’s always been associated with strikers, and it’s one I’ve always liked. There’s no pressure.”
As Chelsea travel to Molineux, Maresca will hope Delap’s return provides both goals and a psychological lift. With the Blues’ attack misfiring and their trophy hopes narrowing, the young striker’s comeback could not have come at a better time.
