Good news Chelsea! Hamstring injury Delap returns...No.9: Should I break the curse

Oct 29, 2025

Good news Chelsea! Hamstring injury Delap returns...No.9 Should I break the curse
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Good news Chelsea! Hamstring injury Delap returns...No.9 Should I break the curse
ReutersYonhap News
Chelsea striker Liam Delap is expected to return.

The BBC reported on the 29th (Korea time) that Delap, who left Chelsea due to a hamstring (back muscle of the thigh) injury, will return while Chelsea needs a striker.

Delap took 10 games off after being injured against Fulham in August. In the meantime, Chelsea has been suffering from a lack of decision-making power and has recently been caught 1-2 by Sunderland on their home turf.




In the meantime, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca predicted Delap's return. He says Delap will return to the League Cup against Wolverhampton.

Delap moved from Ipswich Town to Chelsea in June last year for a transfer fee of 30 million pounds (about 57.1 billion won). Delap successfully settled in his first year of transfer, scoring 12 goals and 2 assists in 37 Premier League matches. At the FIFA Club World Cup held in June, he played in six games and scored one goal and one assist to contribute to the team's victory. However, it was regrettable as it emerged shortly after the opening of the season.

Good news Chelsea! Hamstring injury Delap returns...No.9 Should I break the curse
ReutersYonhap News
Chelsea fans are raising the question of the number he wears. Pointing out Delap's choice of No. 9, which has been empty since 2023. Among Chelsea fans, number 9 is being called 'cursed number'. This is because the players who played with No. 9 did not show any significant performance. Starting with Khalid Bulaway's scoreless performance in 20 games played with No. 9 in 2006, several players, including Steve Sidwell (1 goal in 25 games in the 2007-2008 season), Franco DiSanto (16 goals in 16 games in the 2008-2010 season), Radamel Falcao (1 goal in 12 games in the 2015-2016 season), Gonzalo Higuain (5 goals in 19 games in the 2018-2019 season), and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (3 goals in 21 games in the 2022-2023 season), did not have much fun. Fernando Torres, who scored 45 goals in 172 games for Chelsea in the 2010-2011 season and the 2014-2015 season, is considered a player who met expectations.




But Delap doesn't seem to mind much. Asked about his number, he said "I don't believe in curses. It's just a number behind the uniform. " (Number 9) is also a number that is always associated with the striker. There is no pressure because of that. It is rather good."








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.