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Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."