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

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."