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Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

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

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue 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 games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned 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) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

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

"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."