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Striker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this season. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."

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 furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."