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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."