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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

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

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."