Liam Delap's Chelsea Struggles: Injuries, Competition, and Future Uncertainties

In his first season at Chelsea, Liam Delap scored just one Premier League goal - two in 41 appearances in all competitions - and ended the campaign on a 26-game goal drought.

A year ago, when the striker arrived at Stamford Bridge, he spoke about his ambition to make England's World Cup squad this summer. Clearly, it's not gone to plan.

There are mitigating circumstances for the England Under-21 international, who had injuries and spent a lot of time on the bench, but his goal tally remains surprising given he scored 12 for an Ipswich Town side that was relegated the season before.

Chelsea who won the race and triggered Delap's £30m release clause, despite strong interest from Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Everton last May.

So what next? Delap remains committed and wants at least another season to prove his doubters wrong.

The 23-year-old's commitment is reflected in his decision to buy a house locally, while his coaches - Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior and most recently Calum McFarlane - have all highlighted his work-rate behind the scenes.

Delap's biggest issue has been Joao Pedro, who also arrived last summer in a £55m move from Brighton and was arguably the standout forward among those signed by major English clubs, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle also strengthening in that area.

Unlike Delap, Pedro is currently part of a group of 'untouchable' players at Stamford Bridge, alongside Cole Palmer, Reece James and Moises Caicedo.

This does not mean Chelsea are actively looking to sell Delap but his relatively low transfer fee would make him easier to move on. The club's failure to qualify for European competition also means fewer matches, making it harder to carry a large squad.

Nicolas Jackson is also due to finish his loan spell at Bayern Munich and, with his previously frosty relationship with former manager Maresca no longer an issue, could return to the Blues despite interest from Premier League and overseas clubs.

Similarly, striker Emmanuel Emegha agreed to join Chelsea on a permanent basis from partner club Strasbourg last summer, with the expectation he will integrate into the squad in 2026.

It is likely to be a complex situation, with the input of new manager Xabi Alonso set to be key when he takes charge on 1 July.

Those close to Delap accept he has not met expectations albeit under difficult circumstances.

Delap scored for Chelsea in the Club World Cup, which technically counted as a goal last season, and he later highlighted his intention to push for England's World Cup squad over the course of his next season.

Back then, it seemed a challenging but realistic target.

Coming into this season, Delap played well in his first start during a 5-1 win away at West Ham but then tore his hamstring while sprinting for a ball in his third league appearance against Fulham.

Delap was out for more than two months and the severity of the injury forced Chelsea to initially consider recalling Jackson from Bayern before opting to bring Marc Guiu back from Sunderland instead on deadline day.

Either side of goals against Barcelona and Fulham, Delap suffered a dislocated shoulder in a match against Bournemouth, just a month after returning from his hamstring injury.

It is understood the injury limited his ability to play in his usual style, which in turn affected his form.

Maresca, his former youth coach at Manchester City, had been keen to use him in rotation with and also alongside Pedro, who can play in multiple positions.

However, the Italian's decision to leave the club on New Year's Day was disruptive in several ways, including to Delap's form, as new manager Liam Rosenior made Pedro his first-choice number nine with some success.

Pedro went on to score 20 goals in all competitions while Delap made just three league starts in the final four months of the season and completed 90 minutes only three times.

Delap will hope for a chance to prove his critics wrong, with many also pointing out his seven yellow cards far exceeded his goal tally.