Chelsea's striker Liam Delap returns from a hamstring injury at a time of need for the club, as they face criticism over their inconsistency that has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury, having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August. The summer signing will be phased in "gradually" by manager Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists, with the team relying heavily on midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo as their top scorers this season. Delap is seen as a vital addition to the front line, but his return comes at a critical time for the club.
Some Chelsea fans believe that the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023 and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Tammy Abraham, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, and Franco di Santo.
However, Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup. "At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
Chelsea face wider issues beyond their strikers, including inconsistency in the team's attacking performance. The Blues are struggling to find natural goalscorers, with only midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo scoring four goals between them this season.
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury, having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August. The summer signing will be phased in "gradually" by manager Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists, with the team relying heavily on midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo as their top scorers this season. Delap is seen as a vital addition to the front line, but his return comes at a critical time for the club.
Some Chelsea fans believe that the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023 and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Tammy Abraham, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, and Franco di Santo.
However, Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup. "At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."
Chelsea face wider issues beyond their strikers, including inconsistency in the team's attacking performance. The Blues are struggling to find natural goalscorers, with only midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo scoring four goals between them this season.
they need liam delap back ASAP but now that he's back in, will he be able to turn it around for the team? i mean, their attack has been pretty meh all season and it's like they're relying on 2 or 3 players who aren't even goal-scoring machines 
the pressure is on maresca and the rest of the squad to get it together 
meanwhile, there are still so many questions surrounding their team chemistry... will delap even be able to find a rhythm with the team? 
So they're bringing back Delap now? That's a gamble, right? I mean, he was injured for 10 games, so we don't know how his body is gonna hold up. And with all the pressure on him to score... 
I'm not saying he won't get goals, but it feels like Chelsea's been relying too much on midfielders this season. If Delap can't help turn things around, what's next? They need a solid striker who can finish chances, you know? 
I know he's been out for ages but now he can help turn their season around 
The number 9 shirt thing is wild tho... like why worry about what others think? Just play your game and goals will come 
! Chelsea fans are feeling it right now and they need a win ASAP 
!
he's been gone 4 ages & we all missed him soooo much 
i don't care bout the cursed number 9 shirt tho lol 
chelsea needs him now more than ever & im so excited 2 c them take on whoever 
bring it on!!! 
, and having someone as talented as Delap back in the lineup will be a huge boost 
️.
isn't really bothering me - who cares about that? It's just numbers on shirts, right? 
I do think it's funny that so many strikers have struggled with that number 9 shirt though... guess they should just get used to it 
. Now let's see if he can turn things around for Chelsea 
!
like he's just gonna magically fix all their problems with his strikings skills 
. And btw who needs a curse legend 
. They really do need someone to lead their attack and create scoring opportunities, and if they can gel around Delap, they might just have a shot at lifting some silverware this season 
! I mean, 10 games without him was just too long 
!
meanwhile chelsea's strikers r just not doin it 
anyway, delap seems cool n all & i like his attitude 
. I mean, I get it, injuries happen, but this is kinda crazy timing for Delap to be back in the mix. The team needs him ASAP, or they're gonna lose another game that could've gone their way 
. I mean, 10 games without scoring a single one is pretty rough... 
Anyway, Delap's back, and he's gonna be the savior of Chelsea's striker problem 
. And, yeah, the curse thing is pretty funny... like, who doesn't love a good superstition? 
.
this curse thing is just a myth 
but seriously, it's a number on the back of his jersey, what's the worst that could happen? let's just hope they can get their act together and make some noise in the domestic cups