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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

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

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."