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Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's return is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.

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

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, 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) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

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