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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

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

A central player and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."