Chelsea forward Liam Delap cannot catch a break at the moment, though he has not always helped himself.
At the end of October, Delap was sent off in Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
It was avoidable; however, there was not much he could do about the injuries he has picked up in games against Bournemouth and Fulham.
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Delap injured his shoulder in Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, which follows the hamstring issue he sustained in the 2-0 victory over Fulham at the start of the season.
An injured Liam Delap of Chelsea holds his shoulder as he speak with Reece James
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Liam Delap dismissed idea of Chelsea’s No.9 shirt being cursed
Some will put Delap’s bad fortune down to the so-called curse that Chelsea’s No.9 jersey carries.
However, after joining the Blues from Ipswich Town in the summer, Delap made it clear that he did not believe in such a thing.
When asked about it back in June, the 22-year-old said via BBC Sport: “No, I’m not that type of person. It’s something that people talk about but it doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s something that’s related to strikers so I chose it.”
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Liam Delap replaces Joao Pedro during Chelsea vs Arsenal
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images
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The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres all wore the No.9 shirt before Delap.
While some of those names managed to win trophies at Stamford Bridge, none of them were ever prolific in a blue shirt.
Chelsea have been linked with Serhou Guirassy, but even after Delap’s injuries and slow start, it would still be a surprise if they made a move for the Borussia Dortmund striker. At 29, Guirassy does not fit the profile of player the club have targeted over the last few years.
Liam Delap holds up a shirt after being unveiled by Chelsea as their new summer signing.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Liam Delap’s disappointing start to Chelsea career
Delap has not really been able to build on his success at the Club World Cup during the summer.
He helped Chelsea to win the competition with a goal in the group stage and a very bright cameo against Paris Saint-Germain in the final. However, since then, the England Under-21 international has only managed to score once.
Liam Delap’s 2025/26 stats Appearances Goals
Premier League 8 0
Champions League 2 1
Carabao Cup 1 0
Total 11 1
Injury is largely to blame, while this latest one will not do him any favours. But whatever the case, Delap will admit himself that he has not made the start that he would have wanted at Stamford Bridge.
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