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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• 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 twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."