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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is crucial for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

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

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A central player and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."