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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. 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 annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores 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) - failed to score in twenty matches

A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

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