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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

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

Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

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

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A central player and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

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

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."