Joao Pedro has been handed a Chelsea squad number with a troubled history, taking the shirt that was previously stripped from fellow striker Liam Delap.

The Brazilian forward's assignment to the number adds another chapter to what has become known around Stamford Bridge as the club's "cursed" shirt — a squad number that has seen multiple occupants struggle to make their mark.

Delap, who had previously held the number, saw it taken away from him in a decision that raised eyebrows among supporters. Now, Joao Pedro has stepped into the same shirt, inheriting both the number and the weight of expectation that comes with it.

Chelsea fans will be hoping that Joao Pedro can buck the trend and make the number his own, rather than falling victim to the misfortune that has seemingly plagued those who have worn it before him at the club.