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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.

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

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

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