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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said 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 said: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches 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 only two goals and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."