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Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of securing honors this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions 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 striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."