By Martin Graham
Chelsea will welcome the return of Liam Delap this week as the young striker makes his comeback from a hamstring problem that kept him out for 10 games
The 22-year-old has been sidelined since the 2-0 victory over Fulham in August but is set to feature in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Wolves.
Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed Delap will be eased in carefully, stressing his importance as the Blues look to revive their form following a 2-1 home defeat by high-flying Sunderland.
Maresca criticized his side’s lack of invention in attack and poor delivery from wide areas, with Chelsea’s inconsistency leaving the domestic cups as their most realistic route to silverware this season.
Delap expected to ease pressure on Joao Pedro
Chelsea paid £30m to sign Delap from Ipswich Town in the summer, fending off interest from Manchester United, Newcastle, and Everton. He joined a forward line led by £55m signing Joao Pedro, who had been the star of the Club World Cup triumph in the United States with three goals in three outings.
The Brazilian carried that form into the Premier League with two goals and three assists in his first four appearances but has since failed to score in seven matches.
Maresca admitted Joao Pedro, alongside Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, is among several players being “protected” amid fatigue concerns. He added that Pedro is a creative striker rather than a prolific one, drawing comparisons with top scorers such as Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland.
Creativity concerns extend beyond the No.9 role
Chelsea’s attacking troubles reach further than one player. Cole Palmer has completed just two full games this season and is not expected back from a groin injury until December.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, a £52m arrival from Borussia Dortmund, has managed one assist in 10 matches, while Alejandro Garnacho, signed from Manchester United, has scored once in seven appearances.
Eighteen-year-old Estevao Willian has provided flashes of promise since joining from Palmeiras, contributing two goals and an assist – the same return as academy talent Tyrique George.
Other attacking options, including Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte, have just one goal apiece. Even Marc Cucurella, who netted seven times from left-back last season, is yet to score this campaign.
Maresca has urged his forward line to share the goal-scoring burden, noting that none of his attackers have more than two goals in all competitions, while midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo lead with four each.
Still, set pieces have become a strength: Chelsea are second in the Premier League for goals from dead-ball situations, and they remain the only side with 10 different scorers this term.
Can Delap end the number nine ‘curse’?
Delap’s return also reignites talk among supporters about the so-called number nine curse at Stamford Bridge. The shirt, vacant since 2023, has been worn by several players who struggled to deliver consistently.
Past holders include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, and Fernando Torres – with mixed levels of success. Tammy Abraham remains the most productive of recent number nines, scoring 30 goals across 82 matches.
Despite the superstition, Delap brushed off any notion of a curse, saying the number simply represents his role. “It’s just a number that’s always been connected with strikers,” he said during the Club World Cup. “There’s no pressure — it’s just part of the job.”
