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Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's return is vital for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and players 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) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."