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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

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

Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - 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 added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

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

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal 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 shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

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

A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx 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 hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."