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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

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

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

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

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.

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

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

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 goal contributions in his last two games, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented 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 strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."