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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times 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 first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in 10 matches. 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, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• 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 strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• 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 goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."