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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.

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

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After 13 matches in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, 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 unfazed when queried about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."